The  Library 
University  of  California,  Los  Angeles 


The   Sutter   Street  Synagogue. 


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131 


The 


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Chronicles  of  Emanu-D: 


BEING     AN     ACCOUNT     OF     THE      RISE     AND      PROGRESS 


OF      THE      CONGREGATION      EMANU-EL 


WHICH      WAS      FOUNDED      IN      JULY,     1850 


AND      WILL     CELEBRATE      ITS      FIFTIETH      ANNIVERSARY 
DECEMBER     23,     1900 


SAN    FRANCISCO,     -    -     -     1900 


PRESS   OF   GEO.    SPAULDING    4    CO. 
414    CLAY   STREET,    S.    F. 


00 


-3 


Sf  £5 
JO 


Dedication 


To    Raphael    Peixotto,    Esq., 

President  of  Congregation  Emanu-El: 
My  Dear  Sir  : 

These  "Chronicles,"  now  on  the  eve  of  publication,  are  most  respectfully 
presented  to  you,  the  official  Head  of  our  Emanu-El  Community.  But  they  are 
also  dedicated  to  you,  not  because  you  are  the  incumbent  of  the  presidential 
chair,  but  because,  as  such,  you  have  discharged  your  arduous  and  manifold  duties 
with  a  zeal  and  fidelity  that  commanded  the  admiration  of  all  who  are  privileged 
c£j         to  labor  with  you. 

Personally,  I  confess  myself  under  the  deepest  obligations  for  your  warm 
and  unselfish  interest;  for  your  intelligent  and  progressive  leadership;  and  no  less 
for  that  generous  friendship  that  has  come  to  be  one  of  the  comforting  influences 
of  my  life  and  work. 

At  the  threshold  of  another  semi-centennial  the  Congregation  sends  greeting 
to  you,  its  most  honored  President,  and  to  the  faithful  and  efficient  brethren 
associated  with  you  in  the  Board  of  Directors. 

May  it  be  God's  will,  Mr.  President,  to  permit  you,  for  years  to  come,  to 
lead  this  beloved  "God  is  with  us"  Congregation,  as  the  fathers  called  it,  with 
that  same  experienced  ami  intelligent  solicitude  of  its  interests,  that  has  until 
now  wrought  one  of  the  brightest  epochs  in  the  annals  of  Emanu-El.  And  may 
our  past  blessings  continue.  With  Peace,  Harmony  and  Friendship,  stimulating 
Energy  and  Zeal,  Success  presents  no  mystery.  May  God  preserve  you  and  all 
your  faithful  companions  in  the  holy  cause. 

Sincerely  and  fraternally  your-,. 


276419 


introduction 


THE  history  of  a  Congregation  is  a  family  story,  of  interest 
only  to  those  who  founded  it  or  afterwards  joined  its  ranks. 
The  chronicles  of  fifty  years  embrace  three  generations,  of 
which  the  last  knows  little  of  the  achievements  of  the  first,  unless 
the  records  are  kept  in  order,  and  the  ambition  to  preserve  histor- 
ical facts  has  existed  from  the  start.  The  history  of  one  genera- 
tion is  always  more  or  less  of  a  puzzle  to  its  successors.  Man  is, 
generally  speaking,  too  careless,  perhaps  too  busy,  to  write  down  his 
daily  doings;  and  these  alone  are  really  his  true  account.  The 
chronicler,  therefore,  is  forced  to  idealize;  to  construct  an  account 
out  of  tradition  or  slender  data  that  have  been  preserved;  and  it  is 
just  within  the  limit  of  possibility  that  a  student,  who  desires  to  fill  in 
the  empty  spaces  can  hit  at  the  truth.  For  the  motives  of  our  for- 
bears differed  not  much  from  our  own.  On  the  face  of  God's  earth 
generations  come  and  go,  and  the  experiences  of  the  first  and  the  last 
can  be  judged  by  a  common  standard. 

I  said  this  was  a  family  story.  It  is  really  nothing  else;  and, 
primarily,  it  is  told  that  the  young  men  and  women  of  our  period 
should  know  what  their  parents  achieved,  and,  knowing,  should 
emulate  them.  There  is  great  virtue  in  the  perpetuation  of  tradi- 
tions which  tend  to  maintain  the  family's  position  and  standing;  and 
the  young  people  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  of  San  Francisco, 
to  become  imbued  with  an  ambition  to  maintain  and  transmit  that 
great  organization  in  all  its  present  splendid  integrity,  must  be  fully 
acquainted  with  its  past  history,  which  is  the  religious  history  of  their 
own  fathers  and  mothers.  But  there  are  other  reasons  why  this  brief 
scroll  should  be  published.  Every  congregation  of  Israel  is  a  frac- 
tion of  the  great  fraternity  that  ramifies  throughout  the  world ;  that 
breasts  the  future  with  its  solemn  postulates  of  God  and  spiritual 
regeneration ;  that  preaches  its  prophetical  ideals  in  the  face  of  over- 
whelming dissent.     If  it  be  true  that  our  spiritual  mission  holds  us 


6  Introduction 

together  in  indissoluble  bonds,  then  the  story  of  Israel  in  San  Fran- 
cisco is  a  line  of  that  larger  story  that  as  yet  hath  no  concluding 
chapter;  that  began  in  the  dim  ages  and  is  writ  on  the  days  and 
years  of  the  world's  life.  And  if  that  line  will  teach  posterity  that 
our  fathers  on  this  Coast  were  true  and  loyal,  kept  the  faith,  and 
maintained  the  standards  of  Israel's  high  and  holy  duty,  then  we  have 
contributed  something  to  that  inspiration  that  impels  future  genera- 
tions to  follow  in  the  wake  of  their  predecessors,  equally  deter- 
mined to  bear  the  sweet  burdens  that  God  hath  willed  to  impose 
on  them  that  love  Him  and  keep  His  commandments. 

Nor  is  the  story  without  its  lesson  to  the  State  and  the  general 
community.  Our  fathers  and  mothers  were  amongst  the  earliest 
pioneers  of  California.  If  they  did  not  escape  the  contagion  of  the 
gold  fever,  it  was  because  all  California  was  intoxicated.  But  they 
were  amongst  the  first  to  realize  that  a  stable  community  needs  the 
elements  of  organization.  In  their  tents  the  Jewish  "forty-niners" 
created  one  of  the  first  religious  organizations  of  California.  They 
understood  that  churches  and  schools  were  the  necessary  instruments 
by  which  the  new  communities  could  be  preserved.  They  were 
unselfish,  helpful,  progressive.  They  were  desirous  of  assisting  in  the 
upbuilding  of  the  commonwealth,  and  of  identifying  themselves  with 
its  interests.  They  formed  no  exclusive  community.  In  writing,  there- 
fore, the  family  story  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El,  we  virtually 
relate  the  history  of  an  aggregation  of  men  and  women,  many  of 
whom  were  amongst  California's  earliest  and  best  citizens,  who  main- 
tained the  integrity  of  both  their  religion  and  their  State,  and  whose 
excellence  is  perpetuated  in  the  virtuous  careers  of  their  descendants. 

This  book  is  my  personal  contribution  to  the  celebration  of  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  great  Congregation  whose  teacher  I  am. 
In  writing  its  last  lines  I  breathe  a  prayer  that  God  may  make  us 
all  worthy  of  continuing  the  work  begun  half  a  century  ago,  and 
let  the  honor  of  our  achievements  be  His,  not  ours,  who  are  but  His 
instruments. 

J-  v. 


CONTENTS. 


'  PAGES 

Dedication,              .........  3 

Introduction,               .......  5—    6 

Chapter         I  —  1S49-1860,              .                        .....  9—  60 

"              II — The  Story  of  Reform  Judaism,        .            .  61—  94 

"            III — The  Sutter  Street  Synagogue,                ...  95 — 116 

IV — "From  Generation  unto  Generation,"                   .            .  117— 131 

V — The  Emanu-El  Religious  School,          ....  132—137 

VI — Cemeteries,      ......  138 — 140 

VII — Biographical,         .......  141  — 169 

Officers  1900,               ........  170 

Committees  1900,                ........  171 

Appendix  A— First  Lease  for  a  Jewish  Place  of  Worship  in  California,  ii 

B — Brief  Sketch  of  our  Religious   Affairs  from  1849  to  this  Day,  iii —  iv 

C — Roll  of  Officers  1865 — 1900,                 ....  v —  xiv 

D — List  of  Members,  December  1,   1900,                   .                         .  xv —  xxi 


The 
Chronicler   of   Enumu-El. 


1849— 1860 


TRAVELLER,  who  in  these  latter  days  happens  to 
sojourn  in  the  metropolis  by  the  Golden  Gate,  will 
scarcely  be  able  to  realize  that  this  teeming  city,  this 
commercial  beehive,  is  just  about  half  a  century  old. 
Far  out  into  the  sea  numerous  pillars  of  smoke  indicate 
the  city's  in-coming  and  out-going  trade,  signs  of  a  marine 
carrying  power,  that  connects  San  Francisco  with  all  the  habitable 
world  and  from  her  emporium  distributes  the  treasures  of  the  great 
State  of  California  to  the  strands  of  both  Orient  and  Occident.  The 
city,  lying  on  her  hills,  strong  ramparts  that  man  nor  element  seems 
able  to  conquer,  presents  a  fascinating  spectacle,  whether  one  salutes 
her  when  passing  the  frowning  forts  that  guard  the  Gate,  or  whether 
looking  on  the  terrace-like  elevations  as  they  gradually  emerge  from 
the  fogs  when  approaching  from  the  bay-side.  San  Francisco  is 
always  beautiful, — not  with  the  beauty  of  architecture  and  art,  so 
much  as  with  that  generous  attractiveness  that  arises  from  her  natural 
situation,  resting  on  the  breast  of  those  eternal  hills  that  keep  watch 
by  the  Pacific,  which,  if  not  always  unswept  by  wind  and  storm, 
more  often  sends  a  smile  to  the  people  on  her  shores  that  gladdens 
and  delights  them,  and  inspires  them  with  that  sense  of  contentment 
that  is  characteristic  of  most  Californians.  Here,  where  anciently  the 
sea- forced  its  way  through  the  land,  making  curvatures,  the  beauty  of 
which  can  no  where  else  be  seen, — here,  so  far  as  contemporary  man 
is  able  to  impose  his  limited  judgment,  Nature  herself  designed  the 
habitat  of  a  coming,  great  race  of  men.  The  Gate  hath  a  welcome 
for  them  that  come  in  and  a  smile  for  them  that  go  out;   and  along 


to  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

the  shores  of  both  peninsula  and  mainland  the  evidences  of  thrift 
and  growth  prove  that  the  western  edge  of  America  has  as  favorable 
opportunities  for  maintaining  the  life  of  a  large  population  as  any 
other  part  of  the  world.  Who  can  estimate,  even  now,  the  vast 
opportunities  of  this  favored  land,  that  now  as  of  yore  yields  gold  to 
the  touch,  that  is  overflowing  with  milk  and  honey,  and  like  that  erst- 
while garden  of  the  Lord,  Egypt,  is  fat  and  rich  with  corn  and  oil,  and 
besides  distributed  a  thousand  treasures  to  a  hardy,  industrious  popu- 
lation? The  industrial  and  agricultural  history  of  California  for  the 
past  fifty  years  presents  many  a  marvelous  page — the  story  of  magnifi- 
cent endurance  as  well  as  of  quick  adaptation  to  the  conditions  of 
new  settlements ;  and  greater,  more  marvelous  still,  will  be  the  story, 
now  that  California's  population  is  homogeneous,  now  that  the  world 
knows  that  this  Western  empire  can  harbor  a  population  of  many 
millions  and  can  give  them  all  bread  without  scarcity! 

On  the  Peninsula,  swept  by  sea  and  bay,  lies  our  San  Fran- 
cisco, the  old  village  of  Yerba  Buena,  a  town  of  five  thousand  people 
fifty  years  ago,  a  metropolis  of  nearly  four  hundred  thousand  to-day; 
a  city  of  homes  and  palaces,  a  city  of  schools  and  churches,  a  city 
of  varied  industries,  the  home  of  a  people,  that,  to  a  considerable 
degree,  is  inspired  with  the  virtuous  purposes  of  a  righteous  and 
progressive  community.  There  is  nothing  left  of  the  old  days, 
unless  it  be  some  landmark,  by  which  an  old  surviving  pioneer  may 
stand  awhile  to  ruminate  over  the  dissipated  glories  of  the  days  of 
gold,  and  to  marvel  at  the  changes  God  and  man  have  wrought. 
The  people  who  forged  the  links  that  unite  California  and  the  states 
in  bonds  indissoluble  are,  for  the  most  part,  resting  in  the  soil  they 
conquered,  not  always  with  weapons  of  peace  either, — but  always  with 
spirit  as  indomitable  as  that  of  the  ancient  Argonauts  or  the  bold  sea- 
kings,  who  mastered  the  secrets  of  the  sea  long  before  the  Spanish 
Main  was  plied  with  ships  of  later  make.  There  is  nothing  left  of 
the  old,  turbulent  spirit ;  the  spirit  of  unrest  and  adventure,  the 
spirit  that  stakes  all  the  future  on  the  cast  of  a  single  die,  the  spirit 
that  holds  life  cheap  and  virtue  cheaper,  the  spirit  that  hazards  the 
peace  of  the  commonwealth  in  the  excesses  of  the  flowing  bowl — 
and  yet,  necessarily,  the  spirit  that,  when  it  awakes  from  its  stupor 
of  intoxication,  manfully  repairs  the  breaches  and  seeks  to  construct, 
out  of  the  havoc  it  has  wrought,  the  foundations  of  a  civil  and'  moral 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  ir 

government.  Out  of  the  gold  fever  came  the  repose  of  a  civilized 
community-  Out  of  the  debris  of  the  placers  came  the  foundations  of 
this  "Teat  western  commonwealth.  The  men  who  had  rushed  hither 
from  every  part  of  the  world  to  grow  rich  and  depart,  even  they 
remained  when  they  looked  upon  the  fair  realm  God  seemed  to  have 
designed  to  become  the  cradle  of  a  great  community.  It  is  mar- 
velous, this  tale  of  beginnings.  It  passes  the  bonds  of  human 
judgment,  this  singular  working  of  the  will  of  Providence,  expressed 
in  the  periodical  opening  up  of  countries,  that  man  might  live  and 
be  no  burden  to  his  neighbor.  So  has  man,  in  all  ages,  left  his 
native  base  to  seek  opportunities  of  settlement;  and  it  is  no  blind 
chance  that  points  out  the  way  and  the  journey  to  the  emigrant  and 
the  wanderer,  but  invariably  leads  him,  where,  like  the  nomads  of 
old,  he  may  dig  wells  as  a  sign  and  token  that  the  land  is  pre-empted, 
and  that  new  homes  are  to  be  established.  And  this  is  really  the  story 
of  California.  Let  the  historian  detail  the  political  complications 
which  led  to  its  acquisition  by  the  United  States  ;  let  the  local 
chronicler  describe  the  accident  of  gold-finding  and  the  ensuing 
rush  of  adventurers.  Fifty  years  after  the  rush,  we,  who  study 
effects,  see  in  the  causes  of  history  the  designs  of  omniscience  and 
the  benignity  of  a  Providence  that  makes  and  unmakes  nations,  that 
fashions  the  earth  to  man's  uses,  and,  like  a  gleam  of  fire  to  the 
wanderer  at  night,  points  the  way  to  new  homes,  and  gives  the 
inspiration  for  the  founding  of  nations  and  empires. 

Yet,  there  is  a  difference  between  the  founding  of  ancient  com- 
munities and  those  of  latter  years.  The  slow,  maturing  processes  of 
primitive  times  required  centuries  of  development;  communities 
sprang  not  into  sudden  existence.  The  new  communities  of  to-day 
exhibit  remarkable  adhesive  force,  because  each  member  thereof 
comes  possessed  of  the  constructive  elements  of  community  building. 
So  it  came  to  pass  that  the  new  town  of  San  Francisco,  a  mining 
town  indeed,  with  a  transient  population  that  went  to  and  came  from 
the  mines,*  was  quickly  converted  into  an  orderly  community,  and 
endowed  with  the  attributes  of  progress  and  order.  It  will  not  do  to 
dilate  too  lengthily  upon  the  avocations  of  the  settlers.  Probably 
none  of  them  pretended   to  aught  but  the  object  that   had  brought 

*  Hiltell,  History  of  California,  II,  p.  719. 


12  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

them  to  the  Golden  Gate.  They  came  for  gain;  they  risked  much 
for  the  coveted  wealth;  and,  for  a  time  at  least,  the  standards  of 
well-governed  and  orderly  communities  were  suspended.  But  that 
was  but  the  fever  of  the  times.  These  adventurers  had  come  from 
homes  that  constituted  the  strength  of  social  life;  and  they  felt  that 
home-building,  in  both  the  moral  and  physical  sense,  would  soon 
bring  order  out  of  chaos.  It  is  a  matter  of  note,  not  to  be  over- 
looked, that  religion  and  culture  commenced  their  struggle  for  con- 
trol in  San  Francisco,  and  all  throughout  California,  with  the  first 
rush  of  the  gold-seekers;  which  tends  to  prove  that  the  gambling, 
the  drinking,  the  speculating,  the  rioting — in  short,  the  excesses  of  a 
people  that  has  ventured  much,  and  therefore  cares  little  for  the 
future,  were  but  ephemeral,  to  become  dissipated  by  the  forces  of  law 
and  order,  without  which  the  upbuilding  of  a  community  is  impos- 
sible. The  miners  had  the  gold-fever;  yet  these  same  miners  brought 
law  and  order,  and  soon  enforced  them  against  those  who  would  per- 
petuate the  anarchy  of  a  people  in  its  wine  cups.  In  1849,  the 
Mission  Dolores  was  the  old  landmark  of  the  zeal  and  devotion  of 
Roman  Catholic  missionaries.  Early  in  that  year  the  Protestant 
denominations  began  to  erect  their  chapels,  and  simultaneously  the 
pioneers  of  the  ancient  confraternity  of  Israel,  as  is  their  wont  all 
over  the  world,  gave  signs  that  they,  too,  had  not  left  their  religion 
behind  in  the  homes  whence  they  had  come. 

And  this,  naturally,  leads  to  the  more  specific  objects  for  which 
these  pages  are  prepared.  Israel  in  California,  specifically  Israel  in 
San  Francisco,  and  more  directly  the  encouraging  story  of  the 
Temple  Emanu-El,  is  the  immediate  topic  to  which  we  are  to  devote 
ourselves.  Among  the  forty-niners  were  a  number  of  Israelites, 
led  to  the  gold  fields  by  the  same  motives  that  brought  all  others. 
The  restless  spirit  of  the  Jewish  wanderer  had  driven  many  young 
men  of  the  race  of  Israel  to  the  mining  camps  of  the  new  El  Dorado. 
The  question  whether  there  were  any  Jews  in  California  before  '48 
would  present  an  interesting  topic  of  discussion  were  it  not  for  the 
fact  that  the  data  for  such  an  inquiry  are  not  yet  complete.  But, 
with  thousands  of  others,  they  trooped  in  during  '49,  all  eager  for 
gold,  imbued  with  that  adventurous  spirit  that  elsewhere  had  created 
great  commercial  enterprises,  and,  in  a  greater  degree  perhaps  than 
others,  ready  to  settle  down  on  the  western  shore  of  America  a.nd 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  /j 

participate  in  the  founding  of  the  new  commonwealth.  The  latter 
remark  may  require  some  explanation.  The  fact  that  a  large  number 
of  the  Jewish  pioneers  were  young  foreigners  recalls  the  great  immi- 
gration of  the  Jews  into  the  United  States  during  the  years  1840— 1850, 
an  immigration  directly  resulting  from  the  reactionary  political  con- 
ditions prevailing  during  that  period  in  several  European  countries. 
Notably,  the  young  German  Jew  found  himself  hampered  by  laws 
that  discriminated  against  him,  repressed  his  activity,  and  practically 
reduced  him  to  the  condition  of  an  alien.  During  those  years 
Germany  suffered  the  loss  of  tens  of  thousands  of  Jews,  resulting, 
in  many  instances,  in  the  depletion  of  villages  and  in  the  practical 
wiping  out  of  communities  that  theretofore  had  been  of  historical  as 
well  as  of  commercial  importance.  The  United  States  became  the 
gainer  by  this  immigration,  which  brought  to  the  ranks  of  the  people 
large  numbers  of  hardy,  well-trained,  intelligent  and  enterprising 
men,  who  had  come  to  depart  no  more,  but  to  found  homes  in  the 
land  of  freedom  and  assimilate  with  its  citizens,  thus  forming  the 
nuclei  of  the  powerful  German-Jewish  communities  which  subse- 
quently sprang  up  all  over  the  land,  in  New  York,  Boston,  Phila- 
delphia, Baltimore,  Chicago,  New  Orleans,  and  afterwards  in  San 
Francisco.  The  activity  of  these  young  Jews  of  half  a  century  ago, 
who  founded  great  business  enterprises  and  great  congregations  at  the 
same  time,  presents  an  admirable  blending  of  the  great  virtues  of 
Jewish  manhood.  Few  of  them  had  come  with  substantial  means  to 
inaugurate  large  undertakings.  The  most  of  them  had  brought  but 
their  energy,  grit  and  courage,  and  that  remarkable  patience  and 
endurance  that  is  a  part  of  the  story  of  Jewish  manhood  as  the  latter 
is  traced  through  the  windings  of  the  unhappy  centuries  in  which  all 
the  world  and  its  prejudices  are  arrayed  against  it.  Arriving  at  the 
Eastern  ports,  they  scattered,  and  following  all  the  highways  that  lead 
into  the  great  interior — North,  South  and  West,  they  were  amongst 
the  pioneers  of  the  western  communities,  developing  trade  and 
industry,  assisting  in  the  growth  of  religion,  culture  and  education, 
and  became  a  homogeneous  element  of  the  great  American  Nation. 
Insufficient  attention  has  as  yet  been  called  to  this  feature  of  Ameri- 
can immigration,  and  to  the  services  the  Jew  has  rendered  in  the 
decades  preceding  and  succeeding  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  when 
the  Nation  itself  emerged  from  its  infancy  to  assume  its  place,  more 


14  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

united,  more  numerous  and  more  fittingly  endowed  with  the  elements 
of  progress,  amongst  the  nations  of  the  earth,  in  the  midst  of  which 
it  now  towers  with  a  height  attained  by  none  other. 

Hence,  the  statement  is  made  that  many  of  the  Jews  who  in  the 
mining  days  of  '49  ventured  into  California  came  with  the  ulterior 
object  of  establishing  permanent  homes  in  which,  according  to  the 
manner  of  their  ancestry,  the)'  could  found  families  and  communities, 
and  contribute  their  share  to  the  general  growth  of  the  commonwealth. 
They  came  from  all  directions.  They  entered  with  every  ship  that 
touched  the  harbor,  and  their  numbers  increased  when  the  Pacific 
Mail  line  of  steamers  came  twice  monthly  from  the  East.*  They  came 
overland,  driving  their  ox  teams,  like  the  rest  of  the  adventurers, 
braving  the  dangers  of  deserts  and  floods,  the  raids  of  Indians  and  the 
attacks  of  desperadoes,  and  halted  at  various  points  where  they  pitched 
their  tents  and  went  to  work  like  brave  men.  They  located  in  every 
mining  town,  and  faithful  to  their  wonted  pursuits  started  the  commerce 
of  the  New  World.  They  were  careful,  cautious  and  enterprising, 
abstemious  in  the  midst  of  success,  saving  in  the  midst  of  extrava- 
gance, for  their  ultimate  object  was  to  secure  a  future  for  themselves 
and  homes  for  their  families.  Their  intimate  connections  with  East- 
ern traders  and  mercantile  houses  enabled  them  to  assist  the  mining 
population  in  rapidly  obtaining  the  comforts  of  Eastern  civilization, 
and  many  a  prosperous  inland  town  owes  its  rise  and  present  solidity 
to  the  pluck  and  perseverance  of  the  Hebrew  merchants,  who  erected 
buildings,  gave  life  to  the  place  in  which  they  had  located,  and  fos- 
tered every  new  enterprise  by  personal  encouragement  and  generous 
financial  aid.f 

Who  were  these  pioneers  and  whence  came  they?  The  names 
of  but  comparatively  few  are  known;  the  greater  number  of  them 
have  left  no  record  behind. i  They  came  from  every  section  of  the 
country  and  from  abroad,  generally  young  men  in  the  strength  and 
prime  of  life.  Amongst  the  earliest  arrivals  were  young  Hebrews 
from  the  South,  members  of  Charleston  families  or  residents  of  New 

*The  first  Pacific  Mail  steamer  arrived  at  Sau  Francisco,  February  29,  1849. 

fThis  picture  of  the  Jewish  pioueers  of  California  is  respectfully  placed  beside  that  drawn  by 
H.  H.  Bancroft  (California  Inter  Pocula,  pp.  372-374). 

1  A  list  of  the  Jewish  pioueers  of  1849-1852  is  given  by  Markeu,  "The  Hebrews  in  America,"  pp. 
33^-7,  but  the  list  must  be  read  with  great  caution,  as  some  of  the  people  therein  mentioned  did  not 
come  to  the  Coast  until  1856  or  even  later. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  15 

Orleans.  Others  came  from  St.  Louis  and  points  on  the  Mississippi, 
and  still  another  number  from  New  York  and  the  East.  Some 
came  from  Australia.  They  represented  a  varied  number  of  nation- 
alities. English  and  French  Jews  "bunked"  side  by  side;  the  Hol- 
lander and  the  Pole,  the  German  from  Hanover  and  Bavaria,  the 
semi-Pole  from  West-Prussia  and  Galicia,  the  Russian  from  Lithuania 
and  Bessarabia,  all  met  together  and  bravely  faced  the  difficulties  of 
their  new  environments.  The  nascent  metropolis  could  not  afford 
them  all  room  for  enterprise.  Many  of  them  went  to  the  mines, 
pitched  their  tents  in  Sacramento,  on  the  American  River,  in  Placer 
and  Amador  counties,  and  in-  every  spot  where  gold  had  been  dis- 
covered. Among  the  first  arrivals  we  notice  names  subsequently 
honored  in  the  judicial  history  of  California*,  others,  who  from  the 
start  stood  for  commercial  integrity  and  for  honorable  demeanor, 
probity,  and  sagacity,  a  long  list  of  honorable  and  enterprising  young 
men,  the  very  pride  and  flower  of  Israel. 

The  first  religious  services  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  under  the  aus- 
pices of  the  Jewish  pioneers,  were  held  in  the  autumn  of  1849.  In 
all,  there  were  perhaps  one  hundred  of  them.  It  is  to  be  said  to 
their  credit  that  during  the  feverish  anxieties  of  their  careers  the)' 
had  not  forgotten  the  time  of  the  great  mass  meetings  when  all  Israel 
appears  to  prostrate  itself  before  the  Lord.  The  accounts  of  this 
first  meeting  are  conflicting.  Morris  Samuel  writing  to  his  brother 
in  Philadelphia  {Occident,  Vol.  7,  p.  480)  says:  "About  forty  or  fifty 
Israelites  have  engaged  a  room  to  celebrate  the  ensuing  fast-day  and 
have  invited  me  to  attend.  We  contemplate  building  a  synagogue 
shortly."  This  room  is  said  to  have  been  situated  in  the  second  story 
of  a  building  on  Montgomery  street,  where  afterwards  the  Metropol- 
itan  Theatre   was  located.     It  is  said,  that  in  that  room  above  the 


♦  The  Honorable  Solomon  Heydeufeldt,  elected  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  California  in 
185a,  served  in  that  capacity  until  1 85 7 .  when  he  retired.  An  extensive  biography  of  Judge  Heydeu- 
feldt, who  ranked  among  the  distinguished  jurists  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  was  compiled  by  Louis 
Abraham,  Esq.,  himself  an  old  California!!  (See  American  Jews'  Annual,  1*87).  Mr.  Heydeufeldt  ml 
a  native  of  Charleston,  of  German-American  extraction,  though  his  family  for  generations  was  identi- 
fied with  the  Sephardic  community.  Among  his  associates  on  tin-  Supreme  Bench  of  California  «:is 
the  Hon.  Henry  A.  Lyons,  a  Philadelphian,  who  came  to  the  Coast  from  New  Orleans  Judge 
Lyons  was  one  of  the  first  three  Justices  elected  by  the  first  California  Legislature  in  1850,  and  n  rv<  •! 
until  1854.  Passing  mention  may  also  be  made  here  of  the  Hon.  Washington  Bartlett,  the  son  of  a 
Jewish  mother.  Bartlett  was  born  in  Charleston,  where  he  was  admitted  t"  the  bar,  came  to  California 
in  184S  and  served  the  succeeding  year  as  Alcalde ol  San  Francisco.  His  distinguished  public careei 
forms  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  state  Me  died  in  1888,  a  few  mouths  after  his  inauguration  as 
Governor  of  California. 


16  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

store  where  the  entire  day  the  gold  dust  was  weighed,  received  and 
paid  over,  fifty  Hebrews  spent  the  Day  of  Atonement  in  fasting  and 
prayer.  Another  account,  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  Temple 
Emanu-El  (  see  Appendix  B  ),  states  that  "the  first  religious 
meeting  of  our  people  in  this  city  was  held  on  Yom  Kippur  5609 
(1849)  in  a  tent  room  occupied  by  Mr.  Louis  Franklin,  situated  on 
Jackson,  near  the  corner  of  Kearny  street;  there  were  about  ten 
persons  present."*  Of  the  attendants  at  that  first  service  a  few  names 
are  preserved.  The  moving  spirit  was  Joel  Noah,  afterwards  known 
by  the  sobriquet  of  "Tyler  Noah,"  who  was  a  brother  of  the  late 
Major  Mordecai  M.  Noah.  There  were  present  Israel  Solomon, 
one  of  the  principal  founders  of  the  Sherith  Israel  Congregation,  a 
man  of  fine  education  and  rare  intelligence,  and  the  members  of  his 
family,  including  H.  M.  Lewis,  all  of  whom  had  come  from  Australia. 
There  were  Abraham  Watters,  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the 
Temple  Emanu-El;  Leon  Dyer,  of  Baltimore,  who  acted  as  Reader; 
Albert  Priest,  afterwards  of  Priest,  Lea  &  Co.,  of  Sacramento,  a 
distinguished  American  Hebrew,  who  rose  to  great  commercial 
prominence;  Joseph  Shannon,  afterwards  County  Treasurer  of  San 
Francisco;  B.  Davidson,  Esq.,  of  Davidson,  May  &  Co.,  subse- 
quently financial  agents  for  the  Messrs.  N.  M.  Rothschild  &  Co. ; 
A.  Rehfisch,  Louis  Franklin,  Morris  Samuel,  Conrad  Prag,  the  gen- 
erous and  magnanimous  Emanuel  Hart,  a  Mr.  Brown,  who  had  been 
a  member  of  Stevenson  Regiment,  S.  Fryshhacker,  and,  it  is  said, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnett  Keesing,  the  lady  being  the  only  Jewess  at  the 
service. t  The  service  was  wholly  improvised.  As  stated  before, 
Leon  Dyer  acted  as  Shaliah  Zibbur  or  Reader;    and  there  being  no 

*The  figures  5609  in  this  last  account  should  read  5610.  Mr.  Samuel,  writing  as  a  participant  and 
eye-witness  may  be  trusted  as  to  the  number  of  attendants  at  the  service,  though  I  am  unable  to 
decide  between  the  two  locations.  Could  it  have  been  possible  that  already  in  '49  there  were  two 
services  held  ?  This  suspicion  gains  strength  from  the  fact  that  the  author  of  the  "Annals  of  San 
Francisco  "  (p.  446)  already  notices  an  unpleasant  feeling  existing  between  two  sections  of  the  Jewish 
pioneers,  a  schism  possibly  caused  by  differences  of  taste  and  habits  or  by  degrees  of  education.  This 
sectional  feeling,  later  on,  considerably  influenced  the  organization  of  religious,  eleemosynary  and 
social  institutions. 

f  These  are  the  names  I  have  been  able  to  ascertain  some  years  ago  from  one  or  two  of  the  attend- 
ants who  have  since  gone  to  their  rest.  The  following  interesting  anecdote  is  well"worthy  of  preser- 
vation, though  authenticity  cannot  be  vouched  for:  Joel  Noah  is  said  to  have  made  a  mistake  in 
calculating  the  date  of  the  10th  of  Tishri,  and  organized  the  service  on  the  preceding  day.  Returning 
homeward  the  following  evening  to  break  his  fast,  he  met  a  number  of  co-religionists  who  had  just 
arrived,  and  who  informed  him  that  they  had  rented  a  room  to  celebrate  Kippur.  Convinced  that  he 
had  made  a  mistake,  Noah,  without  further  ado,  went  with  them  to  the  improvised  Synagogue,  spent 
the  entire  night  and  following  day  in  prayer,  and  uninterruptedly  fasted  for  two  days. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  17 

Scroll  a  printed  Pentateuch  was  used  for  the  reading  of  the  Law. 
The  meeting  exercised  its  proper  influence  upon  the  settlers.  It  may 
be  presumed  that  it  created  a  bond  between  them  that  had  not  there- 
tofore existed.  In  fact,  this  religious  meeting  of  '49  resulted  in  a 
determination  on  the  part  of  the  settlers  not  to  lose  sight  of  each 
other  in  the  busy  strife;  to  help  each  other  in  sickness  and  distress, 
to  become  friends  and  advisers  to  their  co-religionists  who  might 
come  from  the  "States,"  and  to  render  unto  each  other  the  pious 
service  of  interment  should  it  please  God  that  their  bones  should  rest 
in  the  New  World.  The  first  outcome  of  that  meeting  was  the  gift 
of  a  burial  plot  by  Emanuel  Hart,  whose  name  is  here  gratefully  and 
reverently  recalled.*  The  second  was  an  arrangement  to  hold  pri- 
vate services  whenever  advisable,  and,  by  tacit  consent,  Israel  Solo- 
mon and  Joel  Noah  were  expected  to  call  the  settlers  together 
whenever,  in  their  opinion,  concerted  action  on  any  subject  whatever 
should  be  deemed  necessary.  Out  of  this  notable  "  '49  Service" 
came  the  great  impulse  that  afterwards  moved  the  Jewish  colony 
of  San  Francisco  to  permanent  organization.  The  settlers  were 
practically,  though  not  legally,  organized.  Morris  Samuel,  in  the 
letter  already  quoted,  says:  "We  contemplate  building  a  synagogue 
shortly."  This  hopeful  tone  leaves  much  to  infer  regarding  the 
warm,  enthusiastic  spirit  of  the  settlers  and  their  determination  to 
organize.  The  late  August  Helbing,  founder  and  first  president  of 
the  Eureka  Benevolent  Society  (Founded  October  2,  1850),  put  the 
co-operative  sentiment  of  the  pioneers  in  the  following  words:  "The 
Jewish  young  men  felt  that  organization  was  necessary  for  various 
purposes.  The  immediate  cause  was  that  we  had  no  suitable  way  of 
spendingour  evenings.  Gambling  resorts  and  theatres,  the  only  refuge 
then  existing  in  'Frisco  to  spend  an  evening,  had  no  attraction  for  us. 
We  passed  the  time  back  of  our  stores  and  often  times  were  disgusted 
.and  sick  from  the  loneliness  of  our  surroundings.  Besides,  our  ser- 
vices were  in  active  demand ;  every  steamer  brought  a  number  of  our 
co-religionists,  and  they  did  not  always  come  provided  with  means. 
In  fact,  some  came  penniless,  having  invested  their  all  in  a  passage 
to  the  Coast.  Some  came  sick  and  sore,  and  it  needed  often  times  a 
respectable  portion  of  our  earnings  to  satisfy  all  the  demands  made 

•For  a  brief  account  of  the  Hart  Cemetery,  see  Chapter  ou  Cemeteries. 


18  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

upon  us."  These  fine  words,  the  sentiment  of  which  led  to  the 
foundation  of  the  Jewish  charities  of  San  Francisco,  are  equally 
applicable  to  the  organization  of  the  Jewish  congregations.  The  first 
service  exhibited  to  the  settlers  their  strength  of  numbers  and  a  relig- 
ious fervor  that  boded  hopefully  for  the  future,  and  thereafter  the 
Jewish  young  men  remained  together  and  prepared  for  the  time 
when  permanent  organization  should  become  advisable. 

It  came  soon.  During  the  year  1850  great  activity  was  displayed 
by  the  Jewish  settlers.  Their  numbers  increased  rapidly,  and  their 
doings  became  matters  of  public  report.  The  Alta  California,  June 
14,  1850,  mentions  a  "  solemn  and  impressive  ceremony"  in  the  family 
of  a  Mr.  Kelsey  at  the  Albion  House,  a  Rev.  Dr.  Zachariah  officiat- 
ing. In  connection  with  that  function  the  paper  states  that  a  Jewish 
Benevolent  Society  was  organized  at  the  meeting  and  supposes  that 
"  inasmuch  as  there  are  a  large  number  of  Jewish  citizens  in  the 
city,  the  Society  will  be  large,  and  before  long  a  synagogue  will  be 
established."  *  Indeed,  the  matter  of  founding  a  synagogue,  or  rather 
synagogues,  was  not  long  deferred.  The  number  of  the  settlers  grew 
apace  and,  as  was  perhaps  most  natural  at  that  time,  they  began  to 
divide  off  according  to  their  nationalities,  which  action  created  not  a 
little  feeling.  It  is  no  part  of  this  chronicle  to  dwell  on  the  causes  of 
this  action,  nor  to  detail  the  unhappy  differences  that  were  engendered 
by  the  settlers  ranging  themselves  on  either  the  "German"  or 
"Polish"  sides.  It  is  only  necessary  to  state  the  fact  that  such 
differences  existed,  and  led  to  the  ultimate  organization  of  two  Jew- 
ish congregations  in  San  Francisco;  and  since  they  have  existed  and 
flourished  side  by  side  until  this  day,  the  contentions  arising  from  their 
organization  need  no  longer  be  regretted. 

Toward  the  approach  of  the  fall  holidays  of  1850,  somewhere  in 
July  or  August,  a  number  of  Jewish  settlers  of  German  extraction 
assembled  in  meeting  to  permanently  organize  a  congregation.     The 

*  I  have  tried  to  identify  this  function,  mentioned  in  the  Alta,  without  much  success.  It  was  after 
the  Pentecost  holidays;  and  there  is  no  record  in  my  possessiou  of  any  organization  having  held  either 
Passover  or  Pentecost  services  in  the  year  1850.  Tradition,  of  course,  helps  somewhat,  provided  it  can 
be  sustained  by  corroborative  evidence.  Probably  the  function  in  question  was-a  B'rith  or  a  wedding; 
but  the  large  numbers  attending  the  ceremony  probably  impressed  the  reporter  with  its  public  char- 
acter, and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  matter  of  permanently  organizing  a  congregation  was  then  dis- 
cussed. Those  who,  like  myself,  have  attended  such  functions  in  new  communities,  will  understand 
that  "  toasts  "  are  opportunities  for  discussing  public  matters. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  ig 

moving  spirit  of  that  meeting,  the  President  of  the  Temporary  Organ- 
ization, the  man,  who,  next  to  Henry  Seligman,  influenced  the  future 
of  the  nascent  congregation  more  than  any  other  personality,  was 
Emanuel  M.  Berg,  and  it  is  just  possible  that  the  choice  of  name  for 
the  new  organization  being  left  to  him,  he  gave  it  his  own  name  and 
called  it  Emanu-El.*  A  word  may  be  said  here  regarding  the  prob- 
able date  of  the  organization  of  the  Congregation,  though  the  matter 
is  of  no  serious  import.  The  exact  date  cannot  be  positively  given. 
The  regular  record  of  the  Congregation  begins  October  23,  1853, 
and  unfortunately  either  no  regular  minutes  were  kept  before  that 
time  or  some  improvident  secretary  kept  them  on  loose  sheets  and  they 
became  lost.t  However,  the  original  Articles  of  Incorporation  of  the 
Emanu-El  Congregation,  which  I  have  looked  up  and  identified  in  the 
office  of  the  County  Clerk  of  San  Francisco,  are  dated  April  11, 
1851;  and  it  is  a  matter  of  general  tradition  that  the  Congregation 
was  organized  "  in  the  fall '' of  1850.  Now,  by  referring  to  Appendix 
A,  it  will  be  seen  that  on  September  1,  1850,  Emanuel  INI.  Berg 
appends  his  signature  to  a  legal  document,  and  signs  it  "  For  Congre- 
gation Emanu-El,  E.  M.  Berg,  President,"  which  therefore  leaves  a 
fair  and  just  presumption,  that  the  Congregation  was  organized 
before  September  1,  1850.  How  long  before  no  one  can  state  exactly. 
I  have  assumed  that  at  least  a  month  elapsed  between  the  date  of 
organization  and  the  signing  of  the  contract  given  in  Appendix  A  ; 
but  even  if  the  date  be  fixed  on  September  1st,  it  would  still  constitute 
Emanu-El  the  oldest  congregation  in  the  city,  a  subject  that,  histori- 
cally, admits  of  no  discussion  whatever. 

Note. — Emanuel  Marum  Berg,  first  President  of  Enianu- El,  was  a  native  of  Bamberg. 
He  came  to  the  Coast  from  Mississippi.  He  possessed  the  qualities  of  leadership  in  an 
eminent  degree.  A  man  of  generous  impulses  and  intense  devotion,  he  appears  as  one  of 
the  moving  spirits  in  religious  and  benevolent  enterprises,  until  his  lamented  death  fn  1S55, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-eight.  The  President's  report  for  that  year  speaks  of  this  good  man 
who  died  before  his  time  as  follows:  "  I  have  styled  him  'our  '  Mr.  Berg,  for  in  very  truth 
he  was  ours.  Next  to  the  fulfilment  of  the  duties  he  owed  to  his  God  and  his  family  stood 
those  he  performed  in  so  manifold  a  manner  to  this  Congregation.  1  ler  welfare,  her  pros- 
perity, her  honor,  her  standing,  were  subjects  near  and  dear  to  his  heart.     All  the  energy 


*  With  reference  to  Isaiah  vii:  14.  In  the  mi  11  u Us  of  the  congregation  the  name  is  variously  written 
Kmauucl  and  Emanu-El,  Mr.  Mcrg  himself,  in  the  oldest  document  extant,  concerning  the  founding 
of  the  congregation,  writes  it  Emanu-El  (see  Appendix  A). 

t  Since  writing  the  above  I  have  ascertained  that  these  minutes  were  destroyed  by  fire. 


20  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

and  prudence  he  could  command,  and  he  possessed  these  attributes  in  no  small  degree, 
were  ever  ready  to  be  applied  when  required  to  promote  the  interests  of  the  Congregation. 
Let  his  memory  be  ever  cherished  amongst  us."  Amongst  various  benefactions 
Mr.  Berg  bequeathed  to  the  community  of  his  native  city  a  fund,  the  interest  of  which  is 
devoted  to  the  education  of  destitute  girls,  without  regard  to  creed.  This  happened 
nearly  a  half  century  ago.     May  such  blessed  examples  be  perpetuated  in  our  community. 

The  Congregation,  from  the  start,  was  a  fairly  homogeneous  body. 
Its  membership  was  small,  not  exceeding  forty,  but  there  was  a  prom- 
ise of  large  accessions  from  the  German-born  settlers.  Its  objects 
were  clearly  defined.  The  time  had  come  to  give  religion  permanent 
security  in  their  new  home.  The  covenant  of  Israel  was  to  be 
reaffirmed  on  the  edge  of  the  continent.  To  hold  stated  services 
and  public  convocations;  to  instruct  the  young  in  the  religion  of  their 
fathers;  to  promote  the  welfare  and  enhance  the  dignity  of  the  religion 
of  Israel  by  precept  and  example;  to  preserve  and  conserve  the  tra- 
dition of  Israel's  helpfulness  to  humanity,  that  in  these  new  environ- 
ments the  Jew  might  also  be  the  priestly  messenger  of  a  gracious 
Deity — these  were  the  high  aims  for  which  those  men  organized. 
They  had  very  little  time  to  spare  for  the  practical  manifestations  of 
religion.  They  were  in  the  midst  of  a  struggle  that  left  no  man 
opportunities  for  mental  or  spiritual  culture  unless  he  was  ready  to 
fall  behind  in  the  race  for  success.  But  their  hearts  were  sound; 
and,  despite  discouraging  criticisms,  or  croaking  prophecies  of 
impending  failure,  and  the  general  difficulty  of  developing  the  adhe- 
sive force  of  people  who  were  uncertain  whether  their  temporary 
abode  would  prove  their  permanent  home,  this  chosen  band  deter- 
mined to  persist  in  organizing  a  congregation,  according  to  the  tra- 
ditional lines  followed  by  their  brethren  in  the  East  and  their  fathers 
and  mothers  at  home,  on  the  Rhine,  in  Bavaria,  Baden,  Saxony  and 
the  other  countries  where  the  Minhag  Ashkenaz  still  prevailed. 

An  immediate  effort  was  made  to  secure  a  place  of  worship. 
The  Ark  of  the  Lord  should  not  dwell  in  a  linen  tent.  During  the 
year  San  Francisco  had  made  rapid  physical  progress.  The  large 
influx  of  settlers,  better  communication  with  the  East,  the  exigencies 
of  commerce  with  the  mining  camps  and  the  farther  north,  as  well  as 
the  promising  political  aspects  of  the  new  Commonwealth  of  Cali- 
fornia, had  rapidly  converted  the  tented  village  into  a  city  of  more  or 
less  pretentious  dimensions   with  a  large   number  of    buildings  that 


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Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  21 

betokened  the  permanent  character  of  the  settlement.  On  Bush 
street,  between  Montgomery  and  Sansome,  one  of  these  new  build- 
ings had  been  erected  by  Loring  Bartlett,  Jr.,  from  whom,  on  Sep- 
tember 1st,  Mr.  Berg  obtained  a  lease  of  a  room  on  the  first  floor, 
eighty  feet  in  length  by  twenty-three  in  width,  for  the  term  of  two 
months,  with  the  privilege  of  renewal  for  four  months  longer,  at  a 
rental  of  two  hundred  dollars  per  month,  payable  in  advance.* 

Note. — It  is  noteworthy  how  much  confusion  there  existed  amongst  the  pioneers 
regarding  the  place  of  worship  of  1850.  The  anonymous  chronicler  of  Appendix  B  has  it 
that  the  services  in  1850  were  held  "in  Kearny  Street,"  and  several  of  my  informants, 
most  of  them  now  deceased,  located  the  place  in  general  terms  as  "  Mrs.  Mitchell  Louis' 
Boarding  House,"  or  "Mr.  Mann's  residence."  With  reference  to  the  latter  there  is 
really  a  notice  in  the  Alta  California  of  April  5,  1S51,  stating  that  on  April  6th  a  meeting 
of  Israelites  would  be  held  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  Congregation  and  providing  means 
toward  the  establishment  of  a  House  of  Worship.  This  evidently  alludes  to  one  of  the 
later  meetings  of  the  Congregation,  or  possibly  to  one  held  by  Sherith  Israel  for  the  pur- 
pose of  completing  the  charter  organization.  There  is  no  doubt  whatever  that  the  Syna- 
gogue of  Emanu-El  in  1S50  was  located  on  Bush  street,  between  Montgomery  and 
Sansome,  as  given  in  the  Berg-Bartlett  lease. 

Loving  and  tender  hands  were  waiting  to  convert  the  hall  into  a 
place  of  worship.  Of  the  women  of  that  period,  the  names  of  Mrs. 
E.  M.  Berg,  afterwards  Mrs.  Morgenthau,  Mrs.  U.  Simon  and  Mrs. 
Barnett  Keesing  are  known  as  having  actively  interested  themselves  in 
making  the  new  place  of  worship  as  hospitable  and  homelike  as  pos- 
sible. So  came  around  the  memorable  Rosh  Ha'Shanah  of  561 1 
(September  17,  1850),  the  first  Rosh  Ha'Shanah  ever  kept  on  the 
shores  of  San  Francisco  Bay,  when  the  German-Jewish  settlers,  under 
the  active  direction  of  Parnass  E.  M.  Berg,  and  again  under  the 
spiritual  leadership  of  Leon  Dyer,  Esq.,  met  to  celebrate  the  holy 
season  and  worship  the  God  of  their  fathers.  The  names  of  many  of 
the  attendants  are  preserved.  Our  venerable  Samuel  Foorman  still 
prides  himself  on  having  then  acted  as  "usher,"  and  still  remembers 
the  services  as  having  been  very  impressive  and  beautiful.  So  far  as 
known  only  three  married  couples  attended:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  M. 
Berg,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  U.  Simon,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnett  Keesing. 
David  Samuels,  then  a  lad  of  barely  fifteen  or  sixteen,  was  a  parti- 
cipant in  this  first  service,  as  was  his  brother-in-law.  Jacobi.     Louis 

•See  Appendix  A. 


22  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

Cohn  and  Samuel  Marx,  Levi  Hess,  Charles  Hess  and  William 
Seligman,  A.  C.  Labatt  and  his  son  Henry  J.,  the  Neufelds  and  the 
Wormsers,  B.  Davidson  and  Joel  Noah,  are  all  known  to  have 
attended  this  first  Emanu-El  service,  of  which,  unhappily,  no  further 
details  are  at  hand.  It  was,  doubtless,  a  glorious  occasion.  Simple 
as  must  have  been  the  environments,  the  settlers  worshiped  with 
full  hearts  and  deep  emotion,  for,  like  Moses  and  the  Princes  of 
Israel,  they  stood  by  as  one  of  the  new  wells  of  Faith  sprang  forth, 
and  they,  too,  sang  a  song  of  praise  to  Him  who  hath  never  forsaken 
the  parents  nor  the  children  of  the  wandering  race  that  digged  the 
wells  of  faith  in  the  soil  of  every  land.  And  we,  fifty  years  after, 
render  homage  to  our  forbears,  to  the  brave  founders  of  Emanu-El 
and  to  them  who  attended  its  first  service;  and  we  declare  that  we 
shall  remain  true  to  the  traditions  established  by  them,  and  will  for- 
ever maintain  the  foundations  reared  in  faith,  piety  and  devotion! 

In  the  month  of  October,  1850,  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  was 
fully  organized.  During  the  middle  days  of  Sukkoth  a  general 
meeting  of  the  membership  re-elected  Emanuel  M.  Berg  President  of 
the  Congregation,  and  committees  were  appointed  to  complete  the 
legal  organization  by  taking  steps  for  obtaining  a  charter,  to  look 
around  for  a  minister,  to  regulate  the  rather  unsettled  spiritual  con- 
ditions, and  look  after  the  interests  of  the  children.  The  work  in 
hand  was  extremely  difficult.  Whilst  the  Congregation  had  thereto- 
fore decided  to  worship  according  to  the  ritual  in  vogue  in  the  Ger- 
man countries,  the  introduction  thereof,  and  the  enforcement  of  a 
strictly  orthodox  discipline  amongst  the  members,  was  connected 
with  difficulties  the  officers  of  the  Congregation  at  no  time  wished  to 
conceal.  A  spiritual  authority  was  wholly  wanting  at  the  time,  or 
the  presence  of  an  educational  force  that  could  command  the  respect 
of  all  the  people.  It  is  interesting  to  learn  that  Louis  Cohn,  a  native 
of  New  York,  and  at  that  time  a  merchant,  engrossed  in  large  busi- 
ness transactions,  organized  a  class  of  some  twenty  children,  and  on 
Sunday  mornings  gave  them  religious  instruction.  It  was  actually 
the  beginning  of  a  school  that  has,  itself,  an  interesting  story  to 
present  of  its  fifty  years  of  activity.  Ritual  committees  from 
the  Congregation  were  appointed  to  examine  into  the  facilities  for 
securing    Kosher    meat,    for    providing    unleavened    bread    on    the 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  23 

ensuing  Passover,  and  for  the  general  introduction  of  paraphernalia 
used  in  connection  with  the  worship.  A  Shehitah  Board  in  conjunc- 
tion with  the  Sherith  Israel  Congregation,  members  of  both  bodies 
sitting  as  a  Board  in  both  ritual  and  administrative  capacities,  seems 
to  have  been  one  of  the  earliest  organizations  resulting  from  con- 
gregational activity,  and  the  first  authorized  Shohct  seems  to  have 
been  the  learned  Isaac  Goldsmith,  whose  versatility  and  great 
Rabbinical  culture  fitted  him  for  far  more  exalted  duties  than  that  of 
a  Shohet  to  the  Jewish  community.  The  necessities  for  the  Passover 
were  looked  into,  and  more  than  one  of  the  brethren  seems  to  have 
coveted  the  lucrative  office  of  ."  Matzo  baker  to  the  Congregation 
Emanu-El."*  Whilst  this  activity  evinced  an  earnestness  that  com- 
mands even  at  this  time  the  most  sincere  praise,  it  is  easily  under- 
stood that  in  the  absence  of  a  competent  spiritual  head  the  individual 
opinions  of  members,  or  the  aggressive  criticism  of  would-be  scholars 
and  self-appointed  Rabbis  interfered,  to  a  considerable  extent,  with 
the  peaceful  development  of  the  Congregation.  Even  at  that  time  a 
young,  progressive  element,  little  concerned  with  the  enforcement  of 
ritual  law,  more  solicitous  for  the  affiliation  of  the  Jew  with  the 
interests  of  the  new  commonwealth,  assumed  an  apathetic  attitude 
toward  the  Congregation,  refusing  to  enter  the  membership  on  the 
ground  that  the  services  did  not  attract  them.  Those  younger  men, 
mostly  well  educated,  became  a  decade  later  the  strongest  factor 
in  the  upbuilding  of  the  Congregation.  Little  as  Reform  was 
known  or  formulated  in  1S50,  it  was  the  undefined  quest  after  some- 
thing more  in  consonance  with  their  spiritual  wants  that  created  this 
apathy,  though  it  did  not  seem  to  have  deterred  the  Congregation 
from  actively  proceeding  on  the  lines  previously  marked  out. 

The  Committee  on  Permanent  Organization  began  its  sessions 
shortly  after  January,  185 1.  A  temporary  Constitution  and  By-Laws, 
under  which  the  Congregation  operated  since  July  or  August,  1850, 
was  carefully  examined  into,  and  as  a  topic  of  discussion  the  follow- 
ing Preamble  was  submitted : 

*  In  the  archives  of  the  Congregation  I  have  found  an  amusing  letter  of  which  the  substance  is 
herewith  presented:  "  Having  been  informed  that  you  have  organized  a  Hebrew  Congregation,  I  desire 
to  be  appointed  Matzo  baker  to  your  honorable  body.  /  was  born  an,/  trld  in  a  bakti  i ,  and  therefore 
know  all  about  the  business,  and  I  can  afford  to  furnish  you  MatzOfl  at  twenty  five  01  twenty  six  cents 
per  pound." 


24  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

PREAMBLE. 

The  Congregation  Emanu-El,  established  A.  M.  561 1  (1851), 
anxious  to  preserve,  cherish  and  exercise  the  doctrines  and  precepts 
of  the  Mosaic  Religion — solicitous  of  perpetuating  the  time-hallowed 
ancestral  institutions  for  the  establishment  of  public  worship,  have, 
for  the  more  effectual  accomplishment  of  these  objects,  adopted  the 
following  revised  Constitution  and  By-Laws.* 

The  Preamble  having  been  adopted,  the  Committee  drafted  a 
"Charter,"  which,  together  with  the  revised  Constitution  and  By- 
Laws,  was  submitted  to  the  Congregation  for  ratification,  and  were 
filed  with  the  County  Clerk  of  San  Francisco  on  April  11,  1851. 
The  instrument  reads  as  follows : 

CHARTER. 

We,  the  undersigned, 

Philip  Runkel, 

A.  Watters,    Abraham   C.  Labatt, 

Samuel  Marx,  Moritz  Schwartz,  S.  Heiter, 

L.   A.  Levy,  Jr.,    Joseph    Shannon,    Rudolph   Wyman, 

I.   E.   Woolf,    A.  H.   Harris,    J.  J.  Joseph,  Jr.,    S.   Fleishhacker, 

J.   Honisberger,   Louis   Cohn,    William   Seligman. 


All  residents  of  San  Francisco  and  of  the  Israelite  Faith  do  hereby 
certify  that  we  have  formed  and  associated  ourselves  into  a  Religious 
Congregation  or  Association  in  the  name  and  form  following,  to  wit: 

First:  That  the  Corporate  Name  of  the  said  Congregation  or 
Association  shall  be  "  God  is  with  us  "  Congregation  or  Emanu-El. 

Second  :  That  the  Synagogue  or  place  of  worship  of  the  said 
Congregation  shall  be  located  in  the  City  of  San  Francisco. 

*  I  must  again  call  attention  to  the  discrepancy  in  dates.  The  Preamble  statement,  "  established 
A.  M.  5611  (1851),"  is  wholly  misleading.  The  year  5611  began  September  17,  1S50,  and  the  Congregation 
was  organized  long  before  that  date.  However,  the  Committee's  statement,  that  for  the  purposes 
described  iu  the  Preamble  they  would  recommend  for  adoption  "the  following  raised  Constitution 
and  By-Laws,"  to  some  extent  rectifies  the  error,  and  plainly  shows  the  existence  of  a  previous 
instrument,  under  which  the  Congregation  was  operating  until  the  grant  of  the  charter,  which  date 
in  the  archives  is  April  8,  1S51,  though  the  copy  in  the  County  Clerk's  office  has  April  nth.  A  copy 
of  t  he  original  Articles  of  Incorporation,  including  the  Preamble,  is  preserved  in  a  beautifully  illumin- 
ated manuscript  book,  on  the  opening  page  of  which  is  a  very  handsome  wood  cut  of  the  Broadway 
Synagogue,  with  the  subscription:  "  H.  J.  Labatt,  Scripsit  et  Ornamentavit." 


EMANUEL  MARUM  BERG, 
First    President    of   Emanu-El. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  25 

Third:  That  the  said  Congregation,  or  Association,  is  formed 
and  created  and  shall  continue  in  existence  for  a  term  of  fifty  years 
commencing  with  and  on  the  date  of  these  presents. 

Fourth  :  That  the  temporal  affairs  of  the  said  Congregation  or 
Association  and  the  estate  property  thereof  shall  be  managed  and 
transacted  by  a  Board  of  Trustees  in  accordance  with  such  By-Laws, 
rules  and  regulations  as  already  have  been  or  may  hereafter  be  adopted 
by  the  members  of  the  said  Congregation. 

Fifth  :  That  the  said  Board  of  Trustees  shall  be  formed  and 
composed  of  nine  members  of  said  Association,  who  after  the  first 
year  shall  be  elected  in  the  manner  provided  and  expressed  in  the 
By-Laws. 

And  that  for  the  first  year  commencing  this  day  the  following 
persons  have  been  elected  and  chosen  to  form  the  said  Board  of 
Trustees:  Abraham  C.  Labatt,  A.  Watters,  Joseph  May,  M.  Schwartz, 
I.  I.  Joseph,  Sr.,  William  Seligman,  R.  Wyman,  L.  A.  Levy,  Jr., 
and  Philip  Runkel. 

In  Witness  Whereof  we  hereunto  subscribe  our  names  at  San 
Francisco  this  eighth  day  of  April  One  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
fifty-one. 

(Signed) 
Signed  in  the  presence         A.  Watters,  Philip  Runkel, 

of  Abm.  C.  Labatt,         Samuel  Marx, 

Ln.  Herman,  Moritz  Schwartz,     Simon  Heiter, 

Ed.  Toby.  Joseph   Shannon,         I.  E.   Woolf, 

Rudolph   Wyman,        A.   H.   Harris, 
William  Seligman,     I.  I.  Joseph,  Sr., 

S.     FlEISHIIACKER,  I.     HoNISBERGER, 

Louis  Cohn,  L.  A.  Levy,  Jr. 

Accompanying  this  charter  is  a  statement,  dated  April  10,  185 1, 
under  the  hand  and  seal  of  Ln.  Herman,  a  Notary  Public,  identifying 
the  signatures  and  the  following  declaration: 

A  true  copy  of  the  record  on  file  in  my  office  in  Book  I  of  Cor- 
porations, pages  9,  10  and  11.  Witness  my  hand  and  seal  of  office 
this  15th  of  October,  1856. 

(Signed)  Thos.   Hayes, 

Clerk  of  the  County  of  San  Francisco. 


26  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

The  permanent  organization  was  completed  by  all  officers  elected 
in  the  fall  of  1850  resigning  their  positions  and  the  election  of  the 
nine  trustees  named  in  the  charter.  At  that  meeting  for  permanent 
organization,  Abraham  C.  Labatt  was  elected  President.* 

Note. — Abraham  C.  Labatt  was  one  of  the  founders  and  most  active  members  of  the 
Temple  Emanu-El.  His  son,  Henry  J.,  appears  to  have  been  equally  active,  having 
served  for  a  number  of  years  as  both  Secretary  to  the  Congregation  and  a  member  of  the 
School  Commission.  The  family  returned  early  in  the  sixties  to  New  Orleans,  their  origi- 
nal home,  whence  A.  C.  Labatt  removed  to  Galveston,  Texas,  to  reside  with  his  daughter. 
During  my  own  residence  in  Texas  I  often  met  Mr.  Labatt,  then  a  man  of  nearly  eighty, 
of  venerable  and  patriarchal  appearance,  who  told  me  many  a  fine  tale  of  the  pioneer 
days  and  spoke  with  pride  of  his  connection  with  the  Temple  Emanu-El.  When  he 
heard  of  my  having  been  called  to  serve  the  Congregation  he  sent  for  me  and  in  touching 
words  felicitated  me  on  the  distinction,  and  prayed  that  the  Congregation  he  had  served 
in  his  younger  days  might  ever  prosper.  Last  year,  when  I  visited  Texas,  I  ascertained 
that  the  venerable  Labatt  was  still  alive,  but,  unless  I  am  seriously  mistaken,  there  is  rea- 
son to  fear  that  the  unfortunate  gentleman,  together  with  the  members  of  his  daughter's 
family,  lost  their  lives  in  the  terrible  catastrophe  that  recently  overtook  and  decimated  the 
stricken  city  of  Galveston. 

As  heretofore  stated,  the  tendencies  of  the  Congregation  were 
distinctly  conservative.  Article  I  of  the  Constitution  of  1851  provides 
that  "The  mode  of  worship  of  this  Congregation  shall  be  in  con- 
formity to  the  Minhag  Askenass  (Custom  of  the  German  Israelites)." 
Article  II  provides  that  the  general  meetings  be  held  "on  Chol- 
Hamoeth  Succoth  every  year,  or  as  near  that  period  as  practicable." 
Article  IV,  Section  3,  provides  that  the  Trustees  "shall  have  the 
power  to  enact  such  regulations     *     *  for  promoting  order  and 

decorum  during  divine  service  and  also  for  the  proper  solemnization 
of  our  Hebrew  rites  and  ceremonies,  provided  such  regulations  are 
not  contrary  to  the  tenor  of  this  Constitution";  which  is  in  effect  an 
injunction  upon  the  Trustees  to  let  no  personal  opinions  militate 
against  the  established  Minhag;  Articles  V  and  VI  contain  sections 
making  it  incumbent  on  the  President  and  Vice-President  to  attend  all 
religious  services  and  to  enforce  the  Minhag.  Section  IV  of  Article 
V  also  requires  the  Vice-President  to  provide  "Minyan  during  the 
Shivah"  at  the  house  of  mourning,  "if  required  b)'  the  relatives  of 

*  It  is  somewhat  surprising  that  the  name  of  E.  M.  Berg  does  not  appear  in  the  charter,  and  that 
this  gentleman  was  not  re-elected  to  his  high  office.  Most  likely,  the  very  fact  that  he  appointed  tbe 
committee  may  account  for  the  non-appearance  of  his  name,  and  the  further  fact  that  he  succeeded 
Mr.  Labatt  in  the  autumn  of  1852,  makes  it  presumable  that  for  a  brief  period  Mr.  Berg  sought  respite 
from  the  arduous  duties  of  administration. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  27 

the  deceased."  Article  X  provides  "Any  Israelite  desirous  of  becom- 
ing a  member  shall  apply  to  the  President";  and  "no  Israelite  shall 
be  considered  qualified  for  membership  who  is  united  in  marriage 
contrary  to  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  our  religion."  Section  5  of 
Article  X  is  quite  emphatic:  "Any  member  who  shall  marry  con- 
trary to  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  our  religion,  or  who  shall 
renounce  Judaism,  or  who  shall  perform  the  marriage  ceremony  in 
this  city  or  its  vicinity  without  the  permission  of  the  Board  of  Officers 
shall  forfeit  his  membership."  Sons  of  members  have  all  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  members  until  they  have  attained  the  age  of  twenty- 
one.  Widows  are  entitled  to  the  same  privileges  as  all  members' 
wives,  until  they  re-marry.  Article  XI  of  the  Constitution  provides 
for  the  election  of  "a  Minister,  a  Shamas  and  Shochet,"  said  election 
to  be  held  by  the  Congregation,  also  provides  for  congregational 
meetings  to  be  held  "during  the  Months  of  Tishri,  Tebees,  Nissan 
and  Tammuz,"  and  for  regular  meetings  of  the  Board  of  Officers 
"during  the  first  week  of  every  month  of  the  Jewish  Calendar." 
The  By-Laws  are  quite  cumbersome.  Thirteen  sections  of  Article  I 
provide  duties  for  the  Sexton  which  must  have  made  that  functionary 
the  hardest  worked  man  in  San  Francisco.  The  dues  of  members 
were  reasonable  enough.  Each  member  was  required  to  pay  two 
dollars  per  month  dues,  and  five  dollars  per  annum  for  the  use  of  one 
seat.  Article  VI  provides  for  the  proper  maintenance  of  the  Scrolls 
of  the  Law.  Article  IX  is  in  part  reminiscent  of  the  old  Synagogue 
tyranny  and  deserves  to  be  quoted: 

Article  IX. — Fines.  Section  1.  Members  who  shall  have 
been  duly  elected  to  any  of  the  offices  mentioned  in  Article  II  of 
the  Constitution,  and  refuse  to  serve,  shall  be  subject  to  the  fol- 
lowing fines: 

For  refusing  to  serve  as  President  -     -     -     -     $30.00 

"       "        "    Vice-President       -     -     20.00 

"  "  "       "        "   Treasurer  -     -     -     -       20.00 

"    Trustee    -----     10.00 

Sections  3  and  4.  Any  member  not  attending  a  funeral,  if  noti- 
fied, shall  be  subject  to  a  fine  of  five  dollars.  Any  member  not 
attending  Minyan,  if  notified  «  »  »  shall  be  subject  to  a  fine 
of  two  dollars,  but  he  may  "send  a  fit  substitute,  who  shall  report 
himself  to  the  attending  Shamas." 


28  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

Article  X  is  worthy  of  reproduction: 

Cheyoobim.  —  The  following  shall  be  considered  Cheyoobim, 
i.  e.,  entitled  to  be  called  to  the  Torah: 

A.  On  Sabbath: 

a.  The  son  of  a  member,  on  the  day  of  his  Bar  Mitzvah, 
also  his  father. 

b.  The  member  whose  wife  attends  Synagogue  the  first 
time  after  her  confinement. 

c.  A  member  on  the  day  of  the  Berith  of  his  son;   also 
the  God-father  and  Mohel. 

d.  The  member  having  Jahrzeit. 

e.  The  bridegroom  and  Unterfuehrer  on  the  Sabbath  be- 
fore and  after  the  wedding. 

B.  On  Rosh  Hashanah. 

The  Ba'al  Tokeah  on  the  first  day. 

C.  On  Yom  Kippur. 

The  Mussaph  Reader.* 

The  first  Constitution  and  By-Laws  of  the  Congregation  Emanu- 
El  compose  a  ponderous  document,  going  into  all  the  details  of 
administration  and  religious  discipline  with  a  minuteness  calculated 
to  effect  a  union  of  two  institutions,  namely,  the  Synagogue  proper 
and  the  old-time  Hebrah,  with  all  its  advantages  of  mutual  assistance 
and  protection.  Two  objects  seem  to  have  been  in  the  minds  of  the 
framers:  the  first,  to  accustom  the  members  to  the  traditional  dis- 
cipline; and  the  second,  to  create  a  homogeneous  body  by  teaching 
the  members  the  necessity  for  mutual  service,  and  giving  them  all  an 
interest  in  each  other  as  well  as  in  the  Corporation  they  had  organ- 
ized. Some  of  the  features  looking  to  this  mutual  service  are  thor- 
oughly admirable,  but  it  is  easily  understood  that  such  a  document, 
whilst  designed  to  meet  the  wants  of  settlers,  would  require  radical 
changes  as  soon  as  the  growth  of  the  community  would  bring  larger 
accessions  to  the  ranks  of  the  Congregation ;  but  in  some  material 
aspects  the  law  then  created  remains  the  law  of  Emanu-El  until  this 
day.     The    crisis  through  which   San   Francisco   had    unfortunately 

*The  antiquity  of  this  document  is  unquestionable.    It  makes  no  provision  for  the  duties  of  the 
Rabbi  or  Minister,  nor  does  it  mention  him  as  a  "Cheyoob''  ou  New  Year  and  the  Day  of  Atonement. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  20 

passed  had  already  taught  the  membership  of  Emanu-El  the  neces- 
sity of  congregational  action  and  of  organization  for  the  purpose  of 
caring  for  both  the  living  and  the  dead.* 

Already  before  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  and  the  grant  of 
the  charter  steps  had  been  taken  to  secure  a  permanent  house  of 
worship,  a  "Convention"  having  been  called  for  March  16th,  for 
the  purpose  of  devising  ways  and  means.  The  San  Francisco  Even- 
ing Picayune  of  March  15,  185 1,  presented  the  following  appreciative 
notice : 

THE  ISRAELITES. 

"  We  are  highly  gratified  to  notice  that  the  large  and  respectable 
class  of  our  fellow  citizens  above  named  are  taking  spirited  measures 
toward  the  construction  of  an  edifice  suited  to  the  convenience  of 
their  solemn  religious  services,  the  most  ancient  and  revered  known 
among  the  worshipers  of  the  one  living  and  true  God.  We  are  glad 
for  them  that  they  have  chosen  to  cast  their  lot  with  us  under  a  gov- 
ernment that  gives  them  the  fullest  protection  in  the  exercise  of  their 
faith  and  worship,  and  which  affords  them  equal  opportunities  with 
all  other  citizens  to  develop  to  any  extent  of  their  aspirations  their 
political,  social,  religious  and  civil  interests." 

This  "Convention,"  called  by  President  Labatt,  expressed  a 
spirited  approval  of  the  proposition  to  erect  immediately  a  house 
of  worship.  Fifteen  hundred  dollars  were  immediately  subscribed, 
and  a  participant  in  the  meeting  furnishes  the  gratifying  testimony 
that  the  brethren  "  were  generously  and  liberally  assisted  by  their 
fellow  citizens  of  other  denominations"  (Appendix  B).  Nothing, 
however,  came  of  this  early  attempt.  A  serious  conflagration,  one  of 
a  series  with  which  the  city  had  to  contend  since  1849,  broke  out  on 
the  night  of  May  3,  1850,  devastated  the  business  portion  and 
reduced  to  ashes  sixteen  entire  blocks  and  portions  of  seven  others. 
"■Upward   of  one    thousand    homes    were    consumed    and    property 

•During  the  last  two  months  of  1850  cholera  prevailed  in  San  Francisco,  which  induced  the  two 
already-organized  charities,  the  Eureka  Benevolent  Society  and  The  First  Hebrew  Benevolent  Associa- 
tion, to  organize  a  joint  "  Humane  Society,"  or  rather  llcbra  Kadis/ta,  for  the  purpose  of  rendering 
personal  assistance  to  the  sick  and  attending  to  the  burial  of  the  dead.  The  late  J.J.  Joseph,  a  Char- 
lestonian,  was  the  President  of  this  joint  commission.  The  public  spirit  of  the  pioneers  led  to  the 
rapid  multiplication  of  organizations,  and  at  that  early  period  there  was  even  talk  of  organi-rin^  a 
Hospital  Association.    (See  Occident,  Vol.  VIII,  p.  sr*;  Alia  California,  November  4,  1850.) 


jo  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

destroyed  valued  at  from  ten  to  twelve  millions  of  dollars."  Another 
conflagration,  the  so-called  "  Sixth  great  fire,"  broke  out  on  Sun- 
day, June  22,  and  consumed  property  valued  at  nearly  three  millions 
of  dollars.  This  series  of  misfortunes  naturally  crippled  the 
resources  of  the  settlers.  Quickly  as  San  Francisco  rose  from  her 
ashes,  a  beautiful  and  substantial  city,  the  necessary  matter  of  church 
building  had  to  be  deferred  until  more  propitious  times,  and  we  have 
the  testimony  of  the  anonymous  chronicler  whose  story  we  have 
named  Appendix  B  that  "  the  disastrous  conflagrations  of  185 1 
frustrated  our  efforts  for  that   time."t 

Nevertheless,  despite  these  harassing  events,  and  the  ensuing 
depressing  conditions,  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  continued  to 
increase  in  strength  and  numbers.  The  temporary  Synagogue  on 
Bush  street  had  fortunately  escaped  the  conflagration,  the  latter's 
course  having  led  from  Pine  street  northward  toward  the  Bay;  and  in 
that  hallowed  place,  where  daily  morning  services  were  held,  the  mem- 
bers often  gathered  to  discuss  current  events,  and  study  the  means  by 
which  their  congregation  and  other  organizations  they  had  founded 
could  be  successfully  perpetuated.  The  need  of  a  Rabbi  was  already 
felt.  The  Congregation  had  grown  too  large  to  venture  without  com- 
petent leadership.  Though  it  was  but  one  year  old,  its  fame  and  that 
of  its  sister,  the  Sherith  Israel,  had  spread  abroad.  In  the  East,  in 
Europe  and  in  far-off  Australia,  it  was  already  known  that  the  Jewish 
Argonauts  had  obeyed  the  intuitions  of  their  race,  and  had  founded 
habitations  for  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant.  Jewish  residents  of  San 
Francisco  communicated  with  their  friends  in  every  part  of  the  world, 

*  Hittel,  History  of  California,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  354-355  ff. 

t  The  Sau  Francisco  Hcraldot  March  19,  1S51,  notices  a  "  celebration  of  Israelites,"  stating  in  detail 
that  a  large  and  respectable  number  of  Israelites  assembled  at  the  Gem  Hotel,  kept  by  J.  Benjamin,  on 
Jackson  street.  The  Committee  of  Arrangements  were  S.  Fleishhacker,  L.  A.  Levy,  Jr.,  Jno.  M.  Jacobs, 
J.  Woolf,  S.  M.  Baruett,  all  members  of  the  Congregation.  It  is  obvious  that  this  "  celebration  "  was  a 
Purim  festival.  Editorially,  the  Herald  of  the  date  named  speaks  of  our  brethren  as  "  constituting  a 
numerous  and  intelligent  class,  conducting  themselves  with  great  propriet}'  and  decorum;  industrious 
and  enterprising,  and  worthy  members  of  the  community";  also,  that  "steps  are  being  taken  to  erect 
a  place  of  worship  as  soon  as  necessary  funds  can  be  raised."  Under  date  of  March  22,  1S51,  the  same 
paper  notices  the  appointment  of  a  committee  to  receive  subscriptions  for  a  house  of  worship.  In 
noticing  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  Broadway  Synagogue,  the  Herald,  under  date  of  July  24, 
1854,  furnishes  an  interesting  but  rather  vague  sketch  of  the  history  of  the  Jewish  community  since 
1849,  and,  discussing  the  conflagrations  here  noted,  states,  as  a  part  of  the  Jewish  history  of  1S51,  that 
the  Congregation  Emanu-El  had  intended  to  erect  a  Synagogue  in  that  year,  for  which  fifteen  hundred 
dollars  had  already  been  subscribed,  but  that  the  Congregation  was  "  hindered  by  the  disastrous  con- 
flagration of  June,  the  Jews  being  among  the  greatest  sufferers." 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El .  j/ 

and,  since  distance  always  lends  enchantment,  the  prosperous  condition 
of  the  Congregations  and  their  individual  members  was  very  much 
magnified.  It  is,  supposedly,  excusable  that  quite  a  number  of 
learned  Rabbis,  attracted  by  the  fame  of  the  gold-land,  sought  oppor- 
tunities to  come  to  California.  The  archives  of  the  Congregation 
Emanu-El,  from  185 1  to  1854,  contain  a  most  interesting  correspond- 
ence between  various  Jewish  clergymen  and  scholars  and  a  number  of 
the  officers,  exchanging  opinions  on  the  subject  of  the  Rabbinate.  Part 
of  this  correspondence  properly  belongs  to  the  curiosities  of  congre- 
gational history,  inasmuch  as  it  not  only  reveals  the  grotesque  char- 
acter of  some  of  the  correspondents,  but  the  inadequate  opinions 
some  of  the  self-ordained  Rabbis  entertained  regarding  the  duties  to 
which  they  expected  to  be  called.  But  the  Congregation  Emanu-El 
was  hardly  prepared  for  the  financial  sacrifices  involved  in  the  calling 
of  a  Rabbi.  In  the  course  of  the  year  1851  it  had  appointed  Hazan 
Welhof  its  Reader  and  Minister,  at  a  very  modest  compensation.  Its 
income  for  the  year  was  barely  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  The  suc- 
cession of  disasters  seems  to  have  financially  crippled  the  community. 
In  consequence,  the  calling  of  a  Rabbi  was  to  be  deferred  until  more 
propitious  times.  That  one  or  more  were  needed,  goes  without 
saying.  Able  administrators  as  the  officers  undoubtedly  were, 
that  unity  of  religious  opinion  that  results  from  competent  and 
authorized  teaching  was  wholly  wanting.  The  mere  external  form 
of  worship,  the  daily  and  weekly  prayers,  meritorious  as  they  were  in 
themselves,  yet  did  not  suffice  for  most  of  the  members,  many  of 
whom,  by  this  time,  had  brought  their  families;  and  the  need  of 
religious  education,  both  in  the  pulpit  and  in  the  school,  began  sorely 
to  be  felt.  In  addition,  the  evils  of  self-assumed  authority  began  to 
appear.  Men,  possessed  of  some  information,  but  of  no  standing 
whatever,  began  to  claim  recognition  as  religious  teachers,  and,  as 
is  natural  in  such  cases,  sought  to  create  friction  by  arraying  the 
various  nationalities  against  each  other,  by  sowing  dissension  be- 
tween the  Congregations,  and  like  unfortunate  proceedings;  which 
only  emphasized  so  much  more  the  need  of  efficient  religious  leader- 
ship, and  left  a  conviction  that  the  Congregation  Emanu-El,  despite 
the  excellence  of  its  membership,  could  not  be  deemed  full}'  organ- 
ized until  its  pulpit  and  school  placed  it,  with  full  and  competent  title, 


32  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

in  the  ranks  of  the  Jewish  Congregations  of  the  land.  And  so 
Emanu-El  pottered  along  for  a  year  or  two,  ostensibly  inactive,  its 
growth  apparently  checked;  but  its  innate  force  soon  asserted  itself, 
and  its  wise  men  began  the  work  of  final  and  complete  organization. 
The  year  1852  passed  quietly,  so  far  as  the  Congregation's  inter- 
ests were  concerned.  Regular  services  were  held,  and  some  pro- 
vision was  made  for  the  religious  instruction  of  an  increasing  number 
of  children.  During  the  preceding  autumn,  the  Congregation  had 
held  its  first  regular  annual  meeting  under  the  charter,  and  it  had 
been  decided  to  vacate  the  temporary  synagogue  on  Bush  street. 
From  that  date,  until  November,  1853,  when  the  premises  on  the 
corner  of  Stockton  and  Green  were  secured  by  President  Henry 
Seligman  at  a  rental  of  sixty-five  dollars  per  month,  the  Congregation 
was  migratory,  a  condition  possibly  necessitated  by  the  unsatisfactory 
state  of  its  finances  and  the  growth  of  indifference  amongst  the  Jew- 
ish pioneers.  An  interesting  picture  of  the  times  is  preserved  in  a 
rather  acrimonious  correspondence  conducted  in  the  Alta  California 
of  the  closing  weeks  of  '52  between  a  number  of  anonymous  writers. 
Public  attention  had  been  called  to  the  unsatisfactory  state  of  Sabbath 
observance  in  San  Francisco.  The  saloons  and  gambling  resorts  knew 
neither  the  repose  of  night  nor  the  advantage  of  a  day  of  rest.  The 
miners  and  traders  from  the  interior  could  do  business  on  Sunday  as 
well  as  on  any  other  day.  The  few  primitive  churches  stood  lonely 
and  forsaken,  like  lodges  in  a  cucumber  field.  A  sense  of  despondency 
pervaded  the  religious  element  of  the  community.  A  lady  of  the 
good  old-fashioned  New  England  type,  with  more  sympathy  for  the 
Blue  Laws  than  the  evolutionary  conditions  of  California,  wrote  to 
the  Alta  of  December  24,  '52,  demanding  legislative  action  to  protect 
the  day  of  rest,  and  invoking  the  powers  of  the  Legislature  to  enforce 
general  observance  of  the  Sabbath.  In  a  rather  vindictive  strain  this 
good  woman  covers  a  column  with  her  arraignment  of  "  heathens, 
Mohammedans  and  Infidels,"  amongst  whom  she  ranks  the  Jews, 
whose  influence  in  the  community  she  regards  as  mischievous.  This 
letter,  which  seems  to  have  created  some  excitement,  was  immediately 
replied  to  the  following  day  by  a  gentleman  who  signs  himself 
"Justice,"  in  which  reply  the  Jewish  community  is  vindicated  and 
highly  praised,  and  in  which  it  was  asserted,  without  fear  of  contradic- 


HENRY  SELIGMAN, 

President   of   Temple   Emanu-El, 

1853-1854, 

1856-1862. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  jj 

tion,  that  the  Jews  of  California  had  been  the  first  to  found  charitable 
institutions  designed  to  mitigate  the  hardships  many  of  the  settlers 
were  compelled  to  suffer.  The  infamous  petition  to  the  Legislature 
that  was  circulated  in  San  Francisco  during  the  last  week  of  1S52  is 
a  matter  of  political  history.  It  prays  for  the  enactment  of  laws  that 
shall  compel  better  observance  of  the  Sabbath.  It  viciously  insinuates 
that  if  Mexicans,  French,  Jews,  etc.,  be  compelled  to  close,  American 
merchants  would  gladly  do  the  same.  It  was  the  old  new  story  of 
putting  on  Jewish  shoulders  all  the  responsibility  for  the  greed  and 
covetousness  of  the  general  population.  A  letter  in  the  A/ta,  dated 
December  26,  signed  "  Israelite",  presents  a  splendid  resume  of 
the  Jewish  point  of  view,  and  castigates  the  framers  of  the  petition  for 
their  unworthy  attempt  to  sow  the  seeds  of  prejudice  in  a  community 
win  re  theretofore  all  elements  had  lived  in  peace  and  harmony,  and 
to  the  prosperity  of  which  the  Jews  had  contributed  so  materially. 
The  correspondence  closed  in  January,  and  naturally  led  to  nothing. 
The  matter  was  brought  up  in  the  Legislature  and  caused  an  acri- 
monious debate:  and  that  was,  for  the  time  being,  the  last  of  the 
Sunday-observance  movement  in  California. 

But  this  short-lived  excitement,  fruitless  and  still-born  as  it  proved 
to  be,  was  not  without  its  immediate  influence  on  the  Jewish  com- 
munity. The  presence  of  an  intangible  but  dangerous  enemy  was 
felt.  Our  people  knew  that  their  industry,  perseverance  and  conse- 
quent prosperity  would  beget  envy  and  jealousy  on  the  part  of  the 
shiftless  and  the  gamblers.  They  knew  also  that  their  adherence  to 
the  doctrines  and  traditions  of  their  faith  would  let  loose  the  preju- 
dices of  that  peculiar  class  of  bigots  and  fanatics  whose  intolerance 
springs  from  an  utterly  selfish  judgment  of  the  paramount  value  of 
their  own  so-called  faith.  Confronting  these  incipient  dangers, 
the  pioneers  instantly  grasped  the  means  for  meeting  them.  The}' 
rallied  around  their  young  organizations  and  endowed  them  with 
strength  and  dignity.  The  presentation  of  a  united  front  would 
assist  in  dissipating  curious  notions  that  had  been  circulated  regarding 
the  objects  for  which  Jewish  settlers  had  come  to  California.  Many 
of  the  younger  men  hitherto  indifferent  to  congregational  aims  and 
objects  joined  the  ranks.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Congregation 
Emanu-El,  held  during  the  middle  days  of  Sukkoth,  1852,  President 
E.  M.  Berg  had   resumed  the  reins  of  office,  and,  with    remarkable 


j./  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

grasp  of  the  situation  that  had  developed  during  his  second  term,  that 
devoted  and  pious  gentleman  set  about  to  endow  the  Congregation 
with  that  stability  that  would  forever  afterwards  be  its  principal  char- 
acteristic. Ably  assisted  by  a  young  man,  a  recent  arrival  who  had 
consented  to  become  secretary  to  the  Congregation,  the  refined  and 
amiable  Charles  Emanuel,  and  by  the  intelligent  and  enthusiastic 
gentleman  who  succeeded  him,  Henry  Seligman,  Mr.  Berg  set  about 
to  deepen  the  foundations  of  the  Congregation.  At  the  spring  meeting 
of  the  membership  he  eloquently  urged  the  immediate  erection  of  a 
Synagogue.  Conforming  to  his  request,  a  committee  was  appointed 
composed  of  Charles  Emanuel,  Louis  Cohn,  M.  Barnett,  H.  Regens- 
burger,  H.  Newhouse,  and  the  President,  who  was  added  ex-officio. 
The  committee  found  itself  handicapped  by  the  poverty  of  the  Con- 
gregation. The  income  for  the  year  was  twenty-five  hundred  dollars, 
and  after  paying  the  rental  of  the  temporary  premises  and  the  rather 
meager  salary  of  Hazan  Welhof  nothing  remained.  In  this  emergency 
the  spirit  of  the  membership  was  easily  tested.  Many  were  eager  to 
contribute;  some  came  forward  and  volunteered  loans.  The  latter 
were  encouraging  enough  to  justify  the  committee  to  proceed. 
Several  parcels  of  real  estate  were  offered,  generally  in  what  were 
then  the  outlying  parts  of  the  city.  The  committee  selected  a  lot  on 
California  street,  between  Powell  and  Mason,  and  its  purchase  was 
approved  by  the  Congregation  at  the  ensuing  annual  meeting,  which 
was  held  October  23,  1853.  President  Berg's  annual  report  at  that 
meeting  emphasized  the  remarkable  change  he  had  been  able  to  notice 
during  the  year.  He  was  happy  to  congratulate  the  membership, 
said  Mr.  Berg,  "upon  the  improvement  in  every  respect  that  was 
visible  in  the  Congregation  "  ;  and  he  hoped  that  the  members  would 
continue  in  their  zealous  efforts  to  erect  a  house  of  worship.*  The 
committee  to  secure  a  lot  presented  the  following  report,  which  must 
afford  interesting  reading  to  the  present  membership  as  indicating  the 
slender  beginnings  of  the  present  powerful  and  prosperous  institution : 

To  the  President  and  Members  of  the  Hebrew  Congregation  Emanu- 
El —  Gents : 
The  committee  appointed    by  your   Congregation    to  purchase  a 
suitable  lot  for  the  erection  of  a  Synagogue  take  pleasure  to  report 

*  Minutes  of  the  Congregation  F.ruanu-Kl,  Vol.  I,  p.  2. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  35 

that  they  have  completed  their  labors  and  purchased  a  lot  on  Cali- 
fornia street,  between  Powell  and  Mason  streets,  for  the  sum  of  three 
thousand  dollars,  and  paid  for  the  same.  The  sum  of  $1,150.00 
deposited  by  Mr.  S.  Fleishhacker  at  the  banking  house  of  Page,  Bacon 
&  Co.  was  drawn  from  the  bank,  also  $100.00  received  from  Cook 
&  Bro.  by  Mr.  J.  Shannon.  The  following  gentlemen  advanced  as 
a  loan  each  the  sum  of  one  hundred  dollars:  Messrs.  E.  M.  Berg, 
A.  Newhouse,  Louis  Cohn,  H.  Regensburger,  Jesse  Seligman  and 
M.  Barnett. 

Your  committee  hope  that  their  action  will  meet  with  the  approval 
of  the  Congregation  and  beg  leave  to  be  discharged  from  further 
consideration  of  the  subject. 

San  Francisco,  October  23,  (1853)  5614. 

The  most  important  action  of  the  general  meeting  of  1853  was  the 
election  of  Henry  Seligman  as  President  of  the  Congregation.  With 
him  may  be  said  to  begin  that  era  of  administrative  energy  that,  with 
few  interruptions,  has  been  continued  until  this  day.  Henry  Seligman 
set  the  fashion  to  all  future  Parnassim  of  the  Congregation  with 
regard  to  that  splendid  consecration  to  duty  that  characterized  them 
all.  He  made  the  office  of  the  President  the  paramount  responsibility 
in  the  Congregation.  Called  to  the  chair  much  against  his  own 
inclination,  being  absorbed  in  the  care  of  a  large  and  growing  busi- 
ness, the  election  was  a  complete  surprise  to  him,  but  having  consented 
to  take  charge  of  affairs  at  a  critical  juncture,  he  developed  an  activ- 
ity, that,  from  this  distance  of  time,  appears  short  of  amazing.  The 
story  of  the  Congregation  during  his  term  of  office,  and  until  his 
removal  from  the  city  in  1862,  shows  a  firm  grasp  of  all  the  questions 
involved  in  the  growth  of  the  institution;  a  noble  sense  of  responsi- 
bility that  knew  friend  nor  foe  in  the  discharge  of  its  duty,  and  a 
high,  intelligent  appreciation  of  the  magnitude  of  his  task  and  of  the 
position  this  Congregation  of  Israel  was  to  occupy  in  after  times. 
Henry  Seligman  began  to  systematize  matters,  and  applied  to  the  man- 
agement of  finances,  the  same  aptitude  that,  in  after  years,  placed 
the  Seligman  Brothers  amongst  the  great  financiers  of  the  country. 
A  man  of  education,  of  conservative  tendencies,  and  full  of  that  fine 
spirit   needed  in  the  delicate  ministrations  to  which  he  was  called, 


j6  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

enthusiastic  but  undemonstrative,  powerful  in  action,  though  always 
with  gentle  insistence,  the  Congregation  had  found  the  man  who 
would  firmly  lead  it  from  its  uncertain  ways.  Doubtlessly  stirred  by 
the  incipient  anti-Semitism  of  the  closing  weeks  of  1852,  urged  by  the 
pious  Berg  himself,  who  would  gladly  yield  the  gavel  to  a  more  deter- 
mined spirit,  Seligman,then  barely  twenty-five  years  old,  a  leader  of  the 
progressive,  active  Jewish  youth  of  the  period — a  youth  destined  to 
prove  the  bone  and  sinew  of  all  our  institutions — assumed  office  midst 
the  plaudits  of  all  the  pioneers,  who  promised  to  follow  his  leadership. 
His  task  was  difficult,  but  his  energy  overcame  every  obstacle.  He 
notified  both  officers  and  members  that  he  would  hold  them  strictly 
accountable  for  the  performance  of  their  duty.  The  law  imposed  a 
fine  on  all  members  who  did  not  attend  meetings ;  he  would  strictly 
enforce  that  fine.  He  found  the  finances  in  a  rather  unsatisfactory 
condition.  Only  twenty-five  hundred  dollars  had  been  collected  dur- 
ing the  year,  which  barely  sufficed  to  pay  the  excessive  rental  of  the 
premises  heretofore  occupied :  there  was  an  arrearage  of  over  six 
hundred  dollars  on  the  books,  and  barely  four  hundred  dollars  on 
hand  to  meet  all  obligations  until  the  dues  could  be  collected.  But, 
despite  this  poor  showing,  the  membership  had  endowed  the  Con- 
gregation with  an  asset  of  three  thousand  dollars ;  the  lot  whereupon 
to  build  the  Synagogue  was  paid  for,  and  though  part  of  this  was 
owing  to  the  gentlemen  who  had  advanced  hundred-dollar  loans,  the 
President  saw  nothing  discouraging  in  the  outlook.  To  the  contrary, 
he  determined  to  force  matters  and  to  proceed  actively  with  the 
erection  of  a  Synagogue,  believing,  rightly*  that  initiative  to  be  the 
true  completion  of  a  solid  and  permanent  organization. 

He  was  nobly  encouraged  by  his  friends  and  associates.  Unfor- 
tunately, no  record  is  preserved  of  the  original  charter  list,  excepting 
the  names  of  the  brethren  which  appear  in  the  articles  of  incorpor- 
ation; but  Mr.  Charles  Emanuel,  the  Congregation's  efficient  Secre- 
tary, has  incorporated  a  number  of  the  names  of  early  members  in 
his  reports  and  records,  and  we  are  able  to  see  who  were  the  men, 
who  with  President  Seligman  did  the  fine  work  of  endowing  Emanu- 
El  with  permanent  life.  The  Board  of  Officers  elected  October  23, 
1853,  were:  Henry  Seligman,  President;  M.  Barnett,  Vice-Presi- 
dent;   Levy  Hess,  Treasurer;    Chas.   Emanuel,    Secretary;    E.    M. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  jy 

Berg,  L.  Tichener,  M.  Cohen,  Louis  Cohn  and  M.  Frank,  Trus- 
tees. The  following  names  of  members  appear  as  having  been  pres- 
ent at  the  meeting: 

L.  Wertheimer,  II.  J.  Labatt,  David  Stern,  Simon  Marx. 
U.  Simon,  D.  Cerf,  A.  C.  Labatt,  J.  L.  Woolf,  William  Scholle, 
A.  Heineberg,  M.  Frank,  Samuel  Marx,  M.  Barnett,  Abraham  Hess, 
M.  Morgenthau,  Chas.  Emanuel,  Moritz  Cohen,  H.  Regensburger, 
Louis  Cohn,  D.  Jacobi,  Levy  Hess,  Jacob  Mason,  L.  Tichener, 
Philip  Schloss,  S.  Mayer,  Herman  Silberman,  Chas.  Hess,  Henry 
Newhouse,  Abraham  Solomons.  Mr.  Charles  Hess  had  been  Secre- 
tary during  the  Labatt  and  Berg  administrations. 

In  the  minutes  of '  a  special  meeting  called  two  weeks  later  the 
following  names  appear  in  addition : 

Jacob  Blum,  Louis  A.  Cohen,  Julius  Eppstein,  Abraham  Hess, 
A.  L.  Lang,  L.  Lazard,  M.  Laz.ard,  David  Samuels,  S.  Simon, 
William  Steinhart,  John  L.  Woolf.  This  list  of  forty  attendants  rep- 
resents in  part  the  charter  list. 

The  Congregation  at  that  time  numbered  barely  seventy-five  mem- 
bers. Some  of  the  founders  of  the  Congregation  had  already  left 
for  the  interior;  a  limited  number,  more  sympathetic  towards  the 
friends  of  Sherith  Israel,  having,  in  fact,  been  charter  members  of 
both  organizations,  had  finally  joined  that  institution.  Most  of  the 
men  named  were  young,  the  majority  unmarried,  and  composed  of  a 
body  of  workers  quite  ready,  under  the  spirited  leadership  <>i  Henry 
Seligman,  to  face  the  exigencies  of  the  future.  There  were,  doubt- 
less, others  who,  like  the  brothers  Jesse  and  William  Seligman,  were 
prevented  from  attending  these  great  meetings.  Among  the  mem- 
bers not  above  named  who  appended  their  signatures  to  the  charter 
between  '50  and  '54  were: 

A.  Tandler,  Kino  Berel,  A.  May,  I.  A.  Goldman,  A.  Wasserman, 
Seixas  Solomons,  D.  Alliums,  I.  F.  Bloch,  Lewis  Strauss,  G.  Good- 
man, Henry  Greenberg,  E.  L.  Goldstein,  August  Kline,  L.  S.  Acker- 
man,  Martin  Heller,  Henry  Cohn,  B.  Reinhart,  M.  Duke,  A.  Calm. 
Wm.  (?)  Ilalphen,  M.  Mayblum,  I.  Levy,  M .  Steppacher,  L.  God- 
chaux,  S.  Schonwasser,  H.  Levi,  11.  Heineman  (?),  S.  Calm. 

November  14,  1853,  was  the  day  that  really  determined  the  future 
of   the    Congregation.      A  special   meeting  was  held   that  day,  which 


j8  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

gave  expression  to  all  the  active  work  undertaken  by  President  Selig- 
man.  The  time  for  building  the  Synagogue  had  come.  A  com- 
mittee had  been  appointed  to  prepare  a  suitable  "Preamble  and 
Resolutions,"  incorporating  the  sentiments  of  the  membership  on  the 
subject.  "Whereas,"  said  the  Committee,  "the  members  of  this 
Congregation  desire  to  erect  a  Synagogue  on  the  lot  of  ground 
owned  by  the  Congregation,  and  whereas  the  amount  required  to 
carry  out  this  noble  object  will  exceed  the  sum  of  twenty  thousand 
dollars,  and  whereas  it  is  the  opinion  of  the  members  of  this  Congre- 
gation that  said  sum  can  be  raised  by  subscription  as  a  loan  to  this 
Congregation;  therefore,  be  it  resolved,  that  the  Board  of  Trustees 
are  hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to  open  books  of  subscription 
for  the  loan  to  the  Congregation  for  the  erection  of  a  Synagogue." 
The  resolution  was  carried  by  a  vote  of  23  ayes  to  11  nays.  The 
minority  protested  that  they  agreed  with  the  spirit  of  the  resolution 
and  favored  the  immediate  erection  of  a  Synagogue ;  but  that  they 
believed  the  lot  on  California  street  to  be  a  poor  selection,  and  that 
a  more  advantageous  site  might  be  found.  This  spirited  objection, 
interposed  by  the  minority  leaders,  David  Stern  and  William  Stein- 
hart,  had  its  proper  weight  with  the  President,  who  himself  suggested 
an  amendment  to  the  resolution,  so  that  it  should  read,  "on  a  lot 
owned  by  the  Congregation,"  instead  of  "on  the  lot  owned  by  the 
Congregation."  This  amendment  was  adopted  unanimously,  and 
besides  uniting  the  membership,  practically  condemned  the  Califor- 
nia street  site  and  forced  the  attention  of  the  Congregation,  early  in 
the  ensuing  year,  to  the  site  on  which  was  built  the  historic  Broad- 
way Synagogue.  The  meeting  further  determined,  as  a  token  of  its 
earnest  intents,  that  as  soon  as  ten  thousand  dollars  should  have  been 
subscribed,  the  Board  might  engage  architects  to  draw  plans  and 
designs  for  the  Synagogue. 

It  was  truly  a  venturesome  undertaking.  A  number  of  men,  all 
more  or  less  struggling  for  subsistence,  scarcely  cognizant  of  the 
future,  which  appeared  uncertain  to  them  all,  determined  to  incur  a 
debt  of  twenty  thousand  dollars  to  erect  a  house  of  worship.  Their 
sole  assets  were  a  building  site,  the  selection  of  which  had  proved  to 
be  a  blunder,  and  which  was  only  in  part  paid  for,  and  the  good 
faith  of  the  membership.     Most  of  the  latter  were  young  men  this 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  jg 

side  of  thirty,  and  according  to  the  ordinary  run  of  opinion,  hardly 
mature  enough  to  undertake  the  responsibilities  of  maintaining  and 
perpetuating  the  weighty  interests  of  Jewish  faith,  Jewish  worship, 
discipline  and  tradition.  They  were  surrounded  by  influences  none 
of  the  best,  and  the  greatest  number  of  them  could  not  definitely  say 
then  whether  the  progress  of  their  material  interests  justified  their  per- 
manent settlement  in  California.  These  facts  considered,  we  are 
able  to  appreciate  the  magnificence  of  their  spirit  as  well  as  the  mag- 
nitude of  their  undertaking.  Inspirited  by  the  indomitable  Seligman 
no  one  feared  the  ultimate  outcome.  The  foundations  of  the  Jewish 
communities  of  San  Francisco  were  the  work  of  young  men,  and  this 
fact  alone  is  worthy 'of  preservation  in  the  amplest  form,  as  the 
strongest  appeal  that  can  be  made  to  the  young  people  of  the  present, 
or  as  an  argument  with  which  to  meet  the  discouraging  assertions  that 
our  young  people  turn  away  from  the  religion  of  their  fathers.  The)' 
never  did, — and  never  will.  The  spirit  of  the  fathers  is  always  in  the 
children.  God  never  permitted  the  generation  of  Elyah  to  pass  away 
without  bequeathing  the  prophet's  mantle  to  the  children  who 
demanded  similar  leadership. 

The  following  week,  November  20,  1853,  a  special  meeting  of 
the  Congregation  gave  another  and  still  more  marked  earnest  of  its 
intentions.  It  resolved,  after  long  and  mature  deliberation,  "That 
this  Congregation  deems  it  necessary  for  its  own  prosperity,  and  is 
desirous  of  engaging  a  Minister,  Hazan  and  Teacher  as  early  as 
possible."  The  spirit  of  the  meeting  might  be  judged  by  the  vote 
on  the  resolution,  37  ayes  to  one  nay,  and  then  these  young  men  fur- 
ther resolved  that  they  would  pay  a  salary  of  three  thousand  five 
hundred  dollars  per  annum  for  three  years  to  the  man  whom  they 
would  engage  to  be  their  teacher. 

This  was  the  pioneer  spirit  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  of  San 
Francisco.  With  an  income  not  exceeding  twenty-five  hundred  dol- 
•lars  per  annum,  up  to  that  moment  fully  pledged  to  the  payment  of 
the  rent  for  the  temporary  Synagogue,  and  without  positive  assurance 
that  the  membership  would  increase,  these  young  men  had  pledged 
themselves  to  the  erection  of  a  Synagogue,  to  cost  twenty  thousand 
dollars,  and  to  the  payment  of  a  salary  that  exceeded  the  congrega- 
tional income  by  one  thousand  dollars!     Many  might  deem  this  spirit 


40  Chronicles    of   Emanu-EI. 

foolhardy ;  slow-going  conservatism  might  condemn  it.  But  our 
young  men  of  the  fifties  vindicated  the  faith  that  was  in  them,  and  it 
was  that  faith  alone,  that  glorious  strength  of  conviction  and  pride  of 
the  association  they  had  formed,  that  determined  their  acts,  as  it  has 
ever  remained  the  rule  of  action  with  the  leaders  and  teachers  of  the 
great  Congregation  that  arose  from  such  modest  beginnings.  The  men 
of  the  fifties  assumed  debts  for  God's  sake  and  honorably  redeemed 
them.  The  men  of  every  decade  until  to-day  did  likewise,  assuming 
obligations  for  the  honor  of  their  religion,  for  the  sake  of  progress 
and  enlightenment  and  a  sound,  intelligent  faith;  and  they,  too,  have 
redeemed  every  debt  they  ever  contracted.  The  spirit  of  the  fifties 
abided  in  "  The  Temple  "  long  after  the  pioneers  passed  away, 
and  it  abides  there  still,  fostered  by  men  fully  alive  to  the  grandeur  of 
their  mission !  The  enthusiasm  of  the  meeting  of  November  20  seems 
to  have  been  boundless.  The  members  clamored  for  immediate 
action  on  the  selection  of  a  minister.  Without  any  previous  corre- 
spondence, without  having  at  all  ascertained  the  wishes  of  the  man 
named,  they  bestowed  a  compliment  on  one  of  the  most  eloquent, 
amiable  and  best  known  ministers  then  resident  in  the  United  States. 
The  following  resolution  was  passed  unanimously,  and  will  be  of 
interest  to  our  brethren  of  Sinai  Congregation  of  New  Orleans: 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Reverend  James  K.  Gutheim,  of  New 
Orleans,  be,  and  is  hereby  declared  our  just  choice  for  the  office  of 
Minister  to  the  Congregation,  and  that  a  committee  be  instructed  to 
correspond  with  the  gentleman."* 

This  resolution  again  demonstrated  the  fine  spirit  of  the  men 
of  Emanu-EI.  In  1853,  there  were  but  few  English-speaking  Jewish 
ministers  in  the  country.  Rabbis  there  were  still  less.  Raphall 
and  Isaacs  were  in  New  York.  Isaac  M.  Wise  was  planning  a  revo- 
lution in  Albany.  Leeser  was  doing  splendid  work  in  Philadelphia. 
Max  Lilienthal  was  conducting  an  academy  in  New  York,  the 
teacher  of  men  who  became  the  leaders  of  their  generation:  Gutheim 
was  in  New  Orleans.  The  Jewish  congregations  had  functionaries, 
ministers  ;   but  few  who  were   either  imbued  with  the  spirit   of   the 

*  Minutes  of  the  Congregation  Emauu-El,  Vol.  I,  November  20,  1853. 


The   Broadway  Synagogue. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  41 

times,  or  who  possessed  sufficient  sagacity  to  determine  the  needs  of 
the  growing  American  congregations.  But  Gutheim's  rejoinder 
must  speak  for  itself  as  descriptive  of  the  needs  of  the  times : 

New  Orleans,  January  8,  1854. 
To  Henry  Seligman,  Esq.,  President,  Board  of  Trustees  and  Com- 
mittee of  the  Emanu-El  Congregation,  San  Francisco : 

Gentlemen. — Your  esteemed  communication  of  the  30th  of  Nov- 
ember, 1853,  as  likewise  a  copy  of  the  same,  dated  December  6th, 
have  come  to  hand,  and  I  am  sorry  that  the  defective  intercommunica- 
tion between  our  two  cities  sho.uld  delay  my  answer  for  such  a  length 
of  time.  I  regret  it  the  more,  since  I  am  already  under  an  engage- 
ment, according  to  which  I  am  honorably  bound  respectfully  to  de- 
cline your  proposition. 

After  my  resignation  had  been  accepted  by  my  old  congregation, 
and  my  withdrawal  had  become  a  fixed  fact,  the  office  of  Minister  to 
the  Portuguese  Congregation  of  this  city  was  tendered  to  me  in  a 
manner  and  under  terms  that  I  could  not  conscientiously  refuse  to 
accept.  I  was  elected  on  the  6th  of  November,  and  have  entered 
on  my  duties  on  the  1st  of  January.  The  tenure  of  office  is  six 
months'  notice  on  either  side,  and  if  emanating  from  the  Congrega- 
tion, a  two-third  majority  of  the  members  is  required. 

It  affords  me  extreme  pleasure  that  you  are  seriously  disposed  to 
establish  a  foster  home  for  our  sacred,  time-hallowed  religion  in  the 
Far  West,  and  I  rejoice  to  learn  that  your  pious  efforts  will  be  crowned 
with  success.  I  feel  deeply  grateful  for  your  flattering  appreciation 
of  my  services,  and  under  other  circumstances  I  would  have  felt  in 
duty  bound  to  give  you  my  feeble  aid.  Believe  me,  gentlemen  and 
brothers,  that  you  have  my  sympathies  and  good  wishes,  and  that 
I  am  anxious  to  see  among  you  a  worthy  representative  of  our  sacred 
cause.  But  it  is  this  very  anxiety  that  deters  me  from  hastily  recom- 
mending any  one  to  your  particular  consideration.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  there  are,  in  this  country,  ministers  who  in  point  of  talent, 
learning  and  piety,  reflect  honor  on  their  calling.  But  I  am  not  per- 
sonally acquainted  with  any  one  whom  I  know  to  be  a  proficient  in  the 
English,  and  could  at  the  same  time  perform  the  functions  of 
Reader.      Your  confidence  imposes   a  responsibility  on   me  which   I 


42  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

cannot  discharge  without  serious  deliberations,  without  a  personal 
acquaintance  with  a  man  whom  I  would  recommend  to  you  as  your 
spiritual  adviser. 

Accept  my  sincere  thanks  for  the  high  honor  which  you  bestowed 
on  me  by  your  unanimous  election,  and  my  best  wishes  for  your  suc- 
cess and  welfare,  spiritual  and  temporal. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be 

Your  faithful,  obedient  servant, 

James   K.   Gutheim. 

Gutheim's  letter,  written  in  the  bold,  characteristic  hand  known 
to  all  his  friends,  apostrophizes  the  great  need  of  American  Judaism 
at  that  time,  English-speaking  ministers.  The  Congregation  Emanu- 
El  found  itself  handicapped  by  Gutheim's  refusal  to  come  to  the 
Coast.  It  desired,  from  the  start,  a  minister  capable  of  understand- 
ing the  situation,  and  of  meeting  the  conditions  of  a  new  settlement. 
Had  Gutheim  been  able  to  come,  he  would  have  made  history  for  the 
Congregation.  This  is  not  the  place  for  a  more  extensive  account  of 
this  lovable  and  amiable  man,  great  philanthropist  and  great  preacher, 
who  served  the  community  of  New  Orleans  until  his  lamented  death 
in  1886,  missed  and  regretted  by  Jew  and  Gentile,  a  man  whose  life 
constitutes  one  of  the  brightest  pages  in  the  history  of  the  American 
Jewish  Ministry.  Had  he  been  able  to  come,  the  progress  of  Emanu- 
El  would  have  been  far  more  rapid  than  it  subsequently  proved  to  be. 
A  man  of  great  force  of  character,  thoroughly  Americanized,  with  a 
keen  insight  into  the  problems  of  the  times,  Gutheim  would  have 
quickly  disposed  of  the  questions  that  in  after  years  faced  the  Con- 
gregation, a  disposition  that  required  a  firm  will,  a  trained  mind,  and 
a  love  of  peace,  all  of  which  were  united  in  him  to  an  eminent  de- 
gree. He  could  not  come,  but  he  remained  Henry  Seligman's  adviser 
until  a  Rabbi  was  finally  selected  (October,  1854) .  Whilst  he  doubtless 
called  Dr.  Eckman's  attention  to  the  possibilities  of  the  Coast,  he  did 
not  recommend  him  in  the  first  instance.  His  choice,  subsequently 
ratified  by  the  Board,  was  a  well-known  German  scholar,  one  of  his 
own  classmates  in  the  Seminary  at  Muenster,  Westphalia,  Dr.  David 
Steinberg,  of  the  Universities  of  Breslau  and  Berlin,  who  at  the  time 
was  a  teacher  in  the  Muenster  Seminary,  was  mentioned  for  the  posi- 
tion of  Director  of  the  institution,  and  a  candidate  for  the  Rabbinate 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El .  43 

of  that  city.  Gutheim  says  of  him:  "  I  make  this  application  in  his 
behalf  without  his  knowledge."  The  selection  of  Dr.  Steinberg  was 
left  to  Mr.  Seligman,  who  sent  funds  to  Gutheim  with  the  request  to 
secure  the  Doctor's  passage.  However,  the  correspondence  came 
abruptly  to  a  close.  Gutheim  knew  of  Dr.  Eckman's  departure  for 
the  Coast,  which  he  mentions  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Seligman,  dated  Sep- 
tember 4,  1854,  and>  unwilling  to  interfere  with  Dr.  Eckman's  pros- 
pects, he  communicated  that  gentleman's  venture  to  Dr.  Steinberg, 
whereupon  the  latter  emphatically  refused  to  ratify  the  engagement 
entered  into  in  his  behalf  between  Mr.  Seligman  and  Dr.  Gutheim. 
It  seems  that  in  those  distant  da3's  Rabbis  did  not  interfere  with  each 
other's  prospects.  Isaac  Leeser,  with  whom  the  Congregation  had 
likewise  corresponded,  had  failed  to  find  a  suitable  candidate,  and, 
hence,  when  Dr.  Eckman  arrived,  he  found  the  way  open  and  the 
Congregation  glad  to  receive  and  welcome  him. 

Meanwhile,  the  President  made  remarkable  progress  with  the 
building  of  the  Synagogue  and  other  matters.  The  Congregation, 
under  his  direction,  moved  from  Bush  street  to  the  corner  of  Stock- 
ton and  Green  streets,  reducing  its  rent  from  two  hundred  to  sixty- 
five  dollars  per  month,  enabling  the  Board  to  give  Hazan  Welhof  a 
decent  salary.  The  latter  does  not  seem  to  have  pleased  all  the  con- 
gregants, but  the  President's  firmness  prevented  the  consideration  of 
recurring  and  unsubstantial  charges.  What  was  wanted,  in  this  Con- 
gregation, as  well  as  in  many  others  throughout  the  country,  was 
proper  deference  to  the  powers  appointed  by  the  consent  of  the  Con- 
gregation, a  thorough  appreciation  of  the  republican  form  of  govern- 
ment that  had  everywhere  been  introduced  in  the  management  of 
Jewish  institutions,  an  obedience  to  the  laws  enacted,  and  a  surrender 
of  individual  opinions,  which  in  many  cases  proved  to  be  mere  preju- 
dices, to  the  interests  and  the  peace  of  the  community.  There  were 
not  wanting  at  that  time  in  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  some  wild 
and  turbulent  spirits,  more  intent  on  having  their  own  way  than  on 
the  success  of  the  Congregation,  unreasonably  zealous  for  the  per- 
petuation of  every  bit  of  religious  practice  they  had  known  in  the 
German  towns  and  villages,  and  almost  tyrannical  in  their  demands 
that  the  path  marked  out  for  the  Congregation  should  lie  diverged  to 
suit  their   notions.      But   the  President   firmly,  yet  kindly,  refused   to 


44  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

listen  to  that  element,  whether  in  or  out  of  meeting.  Yet  the  time 
was  far  off  when  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  would  be  a  unit  in 
practice  and  ritual  as  well  as  in  faith.  The  era  of  Reform  had  not 
yet  begun. 

Subscriptions  to  the  building  fund  were  not  difficult  to  obtain. 
Under  the  chairmanship  of  Messrs.  E.  M.  Berg  and  L.  Tichener  the 
Board  divided  off  into  two  committees  to  do  the  work.  The  first 
step  of  the  Board  was  the  condemnation  of  the  California  street  lot. 
Just  why  a  lot  on  "Nob  Hill,"  where  now  stand  the  palatial  resi- 
dences built  by  the  financial  magnates  of  San  Francisco,  the  homes 
of  Stanford,  Crocker,  Colton,  Fair  and  Flood,  proved  unsuitable, 
remains  uncertain,  unless  its  location  on  the  hill-side  proved  an  ob- 
stacle to  the  Jewish  residents,  whose  homes  then  were  located  on  the 
flats  of  North  Beach  and  in  the  districts  now  called  "South"  of 
Market  street.  So  general  had  become  the  objection  to  the  Califor- 
nia street  lot,  that  it  was  subsequently  disposed  of  at  auction  for  less 
than  its  cost  price.  In  December,  the  President  reported  that 
already  sixteen  thousand  dollars  had  been  subscribed  to  the  loan 
fund,  and  requested  the  members  of  the  Board  to  secure  designs  for 
a  Synagogue.  On  February  4,  1854,  a  committee  reported  that  with 
the  assistance  of  the  President  they  had  purchased  "a  lot  on  Broad- 
way street,  between  Powell  and  Mason  streets,  for  forty-five  hundred 
and  thirty  dollars  ($4,530),  and  paid  for  the  same  out  of  the  build- 
ing fund,  the  title  of  the  same  having  been  approved  by  H.  J.  Labatt, 
Esq."  The  lot  had  a  frontage  of  65^  feet  by  a  depth  of  137^ 
feet,  and  was,  in  the  committee's  opinion,  "well  adapted  for  the 
purpose  intended."  It  was,  in  fact,  Henry  Seligman's  incessant 
application  that  had  enabled  him  to  find  this  choice  lot. 

On  February  12,  1854,  tne  Congregation  accepted  designs  for  a 
Synagogue.  Over  fifty  members  were  in  attendance,  and  ten  more 
were  elected  before  the  discussion.  Four  designs  were  submitted, 
three  by  Messrs.  Craw  &  England,  one  by  Messrs.  George  &  Clark. 
After  a  very  lengthy  discussion,  the  latter  design,  to  cost  $30,000, 
was  accepted  by  the  Congregation,  and  the  proper  building  com- 
mittee appointed. 

The  work  was  now  fairly  under  way.  Just  then  the  Building 
Committee  met  with  unexpected  difficulties.     The  design  of  the  archi- 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  ^5 

tects  had  been  rather  pretentious,  and  could  not  be  carried  out  for 
less  than  fort}-  thousand  dollars  or  thereabouts.  The  Congregation 
was  unwilling  to  expend  that  amount,  and  the  Committees  were  urged 
to  keep  down  the  cost  of  building.  But  the  half  year  transpired  since 
November  had  been  productive  of  the  greatest  good.  The  Congre- 
gation was  firmly  established.  Its  way  was  not  so  crowded  with 
obstacles,  nor  so  hampered  by  uncertainty.  The  semi-annual  meet- 
ing of  Ma}T  10th  had  again  occasion  to  admire  the  clear-headedness 
of  the  President.  The  design  adopted  by  the  Congregation  proving 
too  costly,  Mr.  Seligman  had  undertaken  to  select  one  of  Messrs. 
Craw  &  England's  designs,  which  could  be  executed  for  $19,925, 
the  bid  being  that  of  Joseph  Danielson,  Esq.,  and  his  Committee 
had  accepted  that  bid,  subject  to  ratification  by  the  Congregation. 
The  design  was  accepted  in  accordance  with  the  Committee's  rec- 
ommendation, and  the  last  obstacle  to  building  the  Synagogue  was 
removed.  Meanwhile  the  summer  of  1854  na<^  approached,  and  on 
July  1st  Dr.  Julius  Eckman  came  to  San  Francisco.  His  arrival 
was  promptly  noticed  by  both  congregational  bodies,  Emanu-El  and 
Sherith  Israel.  At  that  time  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  was  about 
ready  to  lay  the  corner-stone  of  the  Broadway  Synagogue,  and  recent 
correspondence  with  the  Rev.  Isaac  Leeser  and  the  Rev.  James  K. 
Gutheim  had  finally  convinced  the  people  of  the  impossibility  of 
securing  a  minister  from  the  East.  Dr.  Eckman's  advent  was  hailed 
with  delight.  The  following  Board  Resolution  of  July  5,  1854,  's 
the  first  official  notice  of  Dr.  Eckman's  arrival: 

"Whereas,  the  Board  of  Officers  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El 
have  learned  with  sincere  pleasure  of  the  arrival  in  this  city  of  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Eckman,  be  it 

"Resolved,  That  the  reverend  gentleman  is  herewith  respectfully 
invited  to  visit  the  temporary  place  of  worship  of  the  Congregation, 
■and  be  it  further  resolved,  that  the  Board  of  Officers  on  behalf  of  the 
Congregation  solicit  the  valuable  assistance  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Eckman, 
and  request  him  to  perform  the  ceremony  of  laying  the  corner-stone 
of  the  synagogue  now  in  course  of  erection." 

Dr.  Eckman's  arrival  seems  to  have  aroused  the  membership.  It 
brought  about  two  immediate  results:   the  organization  of  a  choir  and 


46  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

a  "convention"  for  the  establishment  of  a  Sabbath  School.  In  the 
former,  Louis  Cohn,  A.  Tandler,  M.  Barnett,  I.  Dessau  and  Dr. 
Regensburger  acted  as  a  committee  for  the  Congregation  with  instruc- 
tions to  have  the  volunteer  choir,  if  possible,  ready  for  the  laying  of 
the  corner-stone.  As  to  the  latter,  the  records  of  the  "convention" 
are  lost,  but  Dr.  Eckman  was  asked  to  open  a  school,  and  without 
waiting  for  any  congregational  initiative,  that  good  man  founded  the 
first  Jewish  religious  school  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

On  Sunday,  July  23,  1S54,  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  laid  the 
corner-stone  of  the  Broadway  Synagogue.*  A.  C.  Labatt,  the  oldest 
President  of  the  Congregation  under  the  charter,  laid  the  stone  in  the 
presence  of  the  membership  and  their  invited  guests  of  Sherith  Israel, 
the  latter  being  likewise  ready  to  lay  the  stone  of  their  Stockton 
Street  Synogogue  in  the  very  near  future,  Sunday,  August  6th,  1854. 
The  Mayor  of  the  city  and  quite  a  number  of  Gentile  visitors  attended 
the  ceremony,  and  were  edified  by  Mr.  Eckman's  interesting  presen- 
tation of  the  aims  and  objects  of  Judaism. 

Thereafter,  the  work  of  building  proceeded  rapidly.  Under  the 
watchful  eye  of  the  President  and  his  committees  no  time  was  lost.  It 
was  intended  to  occupy  the  new  Synagogue  for  the  approaching  holi- 
days. During  the  ensuing  two  months  more  money  was  raised  to 
pay  for  the  building  contracts  as  they  became  due,  and  at  the  last 
a  mortgage  of  three  thousand  dollars  was  raised  to  enable  the  Con- 
gregation to  bring  this  first  substantial  work  to  a  successful 
conclusion. 

The  solemn  consecration  of  the  Broadway  Synagogue  took  place 
on  Sunday,  September  14,  1854,  Dr.  Julius  Eckman  conducting  the 
ceremonies  by  special  invitation  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  (Minutes, 
Vol.  I,  August  17).  The  ardent  wishes  of  the  settlers  had  been  ful- 
filled. On  the  shore  of  San  Francisco  bay  stood  two  synagogues, 
one  large  and  commodious,  the  other  of  more  modest  dimensions, 
but  both  representing  the  faith  and  devotion  of  the  young  men  and 
women  of  Israel.  The  minutes  of  the  Congregation  have  not  pre- 
served the  programme  of  the  consecration.  Charles  Emanuel  had 
resigned  his  office  in  August,  and  we  lack,  for  some  time  to  come, 
his   careful   hand  in  describing  current   events    and    preserving   the 

*  San  Francisco  Evening  Herald,  July  24,  1S54. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  47 

facts  as  they  transpired.  But  doubtless  the  ceremonies  were  deeply 
impressive.  A  choir  officiated,  and  besides  an  address  of  welcome 
by  the  President,  Dr.  Eckman  preached  an  edifying  and  effective 
sermon.  The  auditory  had  been  beautifully  decorated  by  the 
ladies,  who,  according  to  orthodox  fashion,  had  seats  in  the  gallery, 
where  were  also  seats  reserved  for  the  children,  a  practice  Emanu-El 
has  observed  until  this  day.  Many  pious  donations  enhanced  the 
attractive  interior.  The  Congregation  was  at  last  in  its  own  home, 
and,  for  a  time,  nothing  seemed  likely  to  impede  its  growth.  Before 
and  after  the  consecration  members  flocked  in,  and  the  number  rap- 
idly increased,  thus  adding  to  the  sense  of  security  that  the  Congre- 
gation would  be  able  to  pay  its  debts,  for,  financially,  the  member- 
ship had  engaged  in  a  responsible  enterprise.  The  greater  part  of 
the  $25,000  required  to  finish  the  Synagogue  had  been  secured  by 
the  issuance  of  bonds,  bearing  a  rather  large  rate  of  interest,  and  in 
addition  a  mortgage  had  been  given  for  $3,000.  Nevertheless,  the 
tone  of  the  records  is  a  hopeful  one.  The  Board  believed  itself  able 
to  meet  the  financial  difficulties.  The  gradual  accession  of  a  number 
of  prosperous  young  men  was  deemed  encouraging,  and  when  the 
holidays  came  around  not  a  seat  was  vacant.  Dr.  Eckman  had  been 
engaged  to  officiate,  and  Rosh  Ha'Shanah  of  1854  saw  tne  Congre- 
gation Emanu-El  worshiping  in  its  own  Synagogue.  The  words  of 
President  Seligman,  spoken  at  the  ensuing  annual  meeting  of  the 
Congregation  (October  8th),  fittingly  interpreted  the  prevailing 
sentiment: 

"I  would  heartily  congratulate  the  members,"  said  the  Parnass, 
"upon  the  final  success  and  completion  of  our  noble  Synagogue, 
which  happy  event  transpired  during  the  term  of  my  administration, 
an  edifice  which  does  honor  to  its  projectors  and  reflects  the  highest 
credit  and  praise  upon  its  donors  and  supporters.  Having  had  many 
difficulties  to  encounter  and  many  obstacles  in  its  path,  yet,  thank 
Providence,  through  the  unwearied  exertion  of  its  members,  we  have 
at  last  witnessed  this  proud  day  of  Consecration." 

At  the  same  meeting,  the  first  after  the  consecration,  the  Presi- 
dent reported  that  the  membership,  from  75  in  1853  had  increased  to 
147.  The  expenses  of  building  and  furnishing  the  synagogue  footed 
up  to  nearly  $25,000,  and  "though  at  present  we  are   considerably  in 


48  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

debt,  I  trust  the  time  will  not  be  long  when  we  shall  see  our  way  clear 
again  and  all  our  obligations  honorably  liquidated."  The  President's 
recommendations  tended  to  strengthen  the  position  of  the  Congrega- 
tion, and  it  is  pleasant  to  notice  that  the  membership  was  not 
affrighted  by  the  increased  responsibility  suggested  by  these  recom- 
mendations. Mr.  Seligman,  first  of  all,  insisted  upon  a  business-like 
administration.  The  systematic  collection  of  the  dues  and  the  proper 
keeping  of  the  Synagogue  were  in  his  opinion  essential  matters,  and 
the  meeting  endorsed  his  suggestions  by  electing  the  faithful  M. 
Steppacher  the  Congregation's  Collector  and  Sexton.  The  services 
of  Dr.  Eckman  in  connection  with  the  instruction  of  the  children  were 
much  commended,  and  the  basement  of  the  Synagogue  being  unfin- 
ished, the  Congregation  set  aside  funds  to  secure  school  rooms  else- 
where. Dr.  Eckman  had  officiated  during  the  holidays,  and  the 
office  of  Reader  becoming  vacant  on  October  21st,  an  adjourned  meet- 
ing unanimously  elected  him  the  first  "Minister  and  Reader"  to  the 
Congregation,  and  with  the  re-election  of  Mr.  Seligman  to  the  Presi- 
dency, it  seemed  that  the  Congregation  was  destined  to  enter  upon 
an  era  of  undisturbed  peace  and  prosperity.* 

Dr.  Julius  Eckman's  ministrations,  unhappily,  proved  unsuccess- 
ful. Scarcely  two  months  after  his  induction  into  office  radical  dif- 
ferences between  the  Rabbi  and  the  Board  of  Trustees  minimized  the 
former's  usefulness,  and  became  a  source  of  contention  that  affected 
the  Congregation's  peace  for  several  years. t  At  the  preceding  annual 
meeting,  the  President's  report  "had  already  touched  upon  an  element 
of  friction  introduced  in  the  administration,  and  demanded  its  radical 
treatment.  The  Congregation  had  been  organized  upon  old-fashioned 
lines;  had  retained  supervisory  functions  in  matters  of  discipline, 
especially  pertaining  to  dietation,  and  experienced  the  greatest  diffi- 
culty in  regulating  the  duties  and  offices  of  the  persons  who  were  in 
charge  of  those  functions.  The  Shohetim  especially  had  given  the 
Congregation  much  trouble.  The  office  of  the  Shohet  was  quite 
remunerative,  but  its  religious  aspect  was  wholly  lost  in  commercial 

♦The  officers  for  1854-55  were:  Henry  Seligman,  President;  A.  C.  Labatt,  Vice-President;  L.  Tich- 
ener,  Treasurer;  H.  J.  Labatt,  Secretary;  E.  M.  Berg,  A.  Tandler,  Sam'l  Marx,  Moritz  Cohen  and  M. 
Roggeuburger,  Trustees. 

t  For  a  detailed  account  of  the  trouble  between  Dr.  Eckman  and  the  Board,  see  that  gentleman's 
biography. 


THE    K1CV.    DR.    JULIUS    ECKMAN, 

Rabbi    of   Temple    Enianu-El, 

[854  1855 


THI-;    REV.    H.    M.    BIEN, 

Lecturer  of  Temple    Emanu-El, 


DANIEL   LEVY,    ESQ  . 
Teacher  and    Reader  of  Temple   Emanu-Bl, 
1--V  [864 


EMANUEL   LEW,    ESQ 

CU-rk   .it"  the  Congregation    Enianu-El 

l"..r  nearly   thirty   years 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  49 

considerations.  There  were  four  or  five  such  officials  in  the  community, 
and  in  their  quest  after  fees,  the  disciplinary  character  of  their  voca- 
tion was  quite  forgotten.  Had  there  been  a  possibility,  as  in  Euro- 
pean communities,  to  place  all  such  functionaries  under  the  direction 
of  a  central  and  generally  recognized  spiritual  authority,  the  peace 
of  the  San  Francisco  community  would  never  have  been  affected, 
nor  would  the  ritual  considerations  involved  in  the  Shekitah  have  lost 
their  full  importance  in  the  public  estimation.  But  the  petty  squab- 
bles of  these  officials,  their  publicly  expressed  contempt  of  each 
other,  their  appeals  to  local,  self-ordained  and  self-appointed  Rabbis 
to  disqualify  all  in  favor  of  one,  and  the  weakness  of  the  community 
to  take  sides  with  one'  or  the  other  of  its  favorites,  created  sufficient 
friction  to  involve  even  the  homogeneous  membership  of  Emanu-El 
in  difficulties  that  could  never  arise  under  our  present  constitution. 
A  strong,  generally  respected  religious  teacher,  whose  authority  as  a 
Rabbi  in  Israel  must  be  recognized  by  all  factions,  could  have  easily 
disposed  of  these  contentions ;  but  the  peculiar  constitution  of  the 
American  Congregations  in  those  davs  did  not  consider  the  Minister 
a  co-ordinate  factor  with  the  administration;  placed  his  functions  in 
the  control  of  regulations  enacted  by  the  laity,  and  thus  aided  in  the 
decline  of  a  moral  superintendence  in  matters  of  faith  and  practice. 
Besides,  whatever  powers  were  deputed  to  the  minister,  were  recog- 
nized by  his  own  Congregation  only,  and  one  of  the  sources  of  the 
revolution  that  came  not  long  afterwards  was  this  lack  of  unity  and 
homogeneity,  the  consequent  self-assertion  of  irresponsible  persons 
who  assumed  or  were  thoughtlessly  given  the  rank  of  public  teachers ; 
who  publicly  disputed  each  other's  title  and  authority,  and  the  appar- 
ent necessity  to  create  some  order  in  this  chaos  of  religious  life  and 
practice.  San  Francisco  had  proved  no  exception  to  the  rule.  Locally 
considered,  Dr.  Eckman's  failure  to  maintain  his  Rabbinical  author- 
ity was  due  to  a  weakness  in  his  otherwise  strong  character;  to  a 
•want  of  diplomacy  and  an  inadequate  appreciation  of  his  own  posi- 
tion. Considered  from  the  larger  point  of  view  involved  in  the  his- 
torical evolution  of  American  Judaism,  Eckman  appears  but  as  an 
individual  whose  usefulness  was  impaired  by  the  transitory  conditions 
of  religious  practice,  and  who  was  not  strong  enough  to  withstand 
the  storm  when  it  overtook  the  field  in  which  he  sought  to  labor  with 
all  the  sincerity  of  a  well-intentioned  heart  and  gifted  mind. 


§0  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

It  seems  unfortunate  that  the  advent  of  an  undoubtedly  learned 
and  pious  man  like  Eckman  should  have  been  a  source  of  trouble  to 
a  congregation  fully  determined  to  preserve  peace  and  harmony  as 
the  strongest  elements  of  progressive  growth.  But  an  era  of  depres- 
sion somehow  came  with  him.  The  Shehitah  question  had  divided 
the  membership;  resignations  were  handed  in,  and,  although  no  one 
seems  to  have  suspected  Eckman's  integrity,  faith  in  his  capacities 
was  considerably  shaken.  The  Congregation,  besides,  was  involved 
in  financial  difficulties.  Debts  were  increasing.  At  the  quarterly 
meeting  held  March  4,  1855,  it  was  announced  that  the  monthly 
income  was  but  $258  and  the  expenditures  $391.66,  leaving  a  gradu- 
ally growing  deficit  that  could  only  be  met  by  doubling  the  dues,  a 
proposition  that  was  received  with  considerable  protest.  The  total 
indebtedness  of  the  Congregation  was  $6,675.33,  °f  which  the  greater 
part  was  due  in  April.  That  month  the  Treasurer  was  compelled  to 
borrow  money.  Financial  difficulties  are  not  conducive  to  congre- 
gational harmony.  In  May  the  President  was  directed  to  borrow 
six  thousand  dollars  wherewith  to  cancel  all  outstanding  indebted- 
ness, and  the  rate  of  interest  was  then  two  per  cent,  per  month.  But 
Mr.  Seligman  had  resigned  his  office.  From  all  that  can  be  learned, 
this  energetic  official  had  grown  discouraged,  and  withdrew  to  the 
ranks.  His  predecessor,  E.  M.  Berg,  became  his  successor.*  Mr. 
Berg  tried  his  best,  but  the  conditions  were  discouraging.  It  was 
hoped  that  the  ensuing  annual  sale  of  seats  would  help  somewhat  to 
relieve  the  financial  situation.  Retrenchment  was  demanded,  and 
one  of  the  resolutions  of  the  times  is  the  reduction  of  the  minister's 
salary  to  six  hundred  dollars  per  annum,  an  act  that  deprived  the 
Congregation  of  the  opportunity  to  secure  a  competent  successor  to 
Dr.  Eckman.  The  annual  meeting  of  September  30,  1855,  seems  to 
have  been  a  stormy  one.  The  ritual  difficulties  of  the  past  year,  as 
well  as  the  financial  troubles,  left  their  impress.  The  membership 
was  restive  and  divided.  Dr.  Eckman  was  desired  by  a  number  of 
the  members,  but  could  not  command  a  majority.  Hazan  Welhof 
was  appointed  to  his  old  position.  The  President-elect,  Sigmund  F. 
Meyer,  refused  to  serve.     The  Secretary,  H.  J.  Labatt,  left  his  chair 

*  Minutes  of  the  Congregation  Eraanu-El.  Vol.  I,  page  55. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  51 

and  practically  cast  his  office  at  the  feet  of  the  meeting.  Members 
resigned,  and  matters  seemed  dark  enough  to  justify  a  pessimistic 
prediction  that  the  Congregation  was  doomed.  But  the  dark  clouds 
were  soon  to  pass  away.  Emanu-El  was  too  strongly  founded  to  col- 
lapse at  the  first  touch  of  a  storm.* 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Congregation,  held  on  October  21, 
1855,  Messrs.  Meyer  and  Labatt,  persisting  in  their  refusal  to  serve 
as  President  and  Secretary,  I.  Bloomingdale  was  elected  President, 
and  M.  Frank  Secretary.  L.  Tichener  became  Vice-President. 
This  meeting  is  of  the  utmost  importance  in  the  annals  of  the  Con- 
gregation. It  gave  the  first  impulse  to  reform,  the  story  of  which 
must  presently  be  told'.  It  bravely  grappled  with  the  financial  problem. 
Its  resolutions  were : 

First,  to  again  open  correspondence  with  the  East  and  Europe  with 
a  view  of  securing  a  Rabbi  whose  authority  would  be  respected. 

Second,  to  induce  the  membership  to  make  liberal  contributions  to 
a  fund  designed  to  liquidate  all  outstanding  indebtedness. 

Third,  to  indorse  the  conclusions  of  the  Cleveland  Conference  of 
Rabbis,  held  October  17,  and  "to  procure  as  earl}'  as  possible  the 
Minhag  about  to  be  established  "  as  the  result  of  that  conference. 

The  last  resolution  created  no  discussion  whatever.  The  Congre- 
gation Emanu-El  felt  the  need  of  unity  and  of  associated  action.  It 
had  grown  tired  of  the  petty  contentions  of  official  orthodoxy.  Its 
officers  knew  that  the  progress  of  the  Congregation  depended  upon  a 
radical  change  of  external  forms  as  well  as  upon  a  thorough  rehabili- 
tation of  the  aims  and  objects  of  religion.  This  great  German  Con- 
gregation desired  to  be  in  touch  with  its  sisters  in  the  East,  the  people 
who  were  of  its  own  bone  and  flesh,  and  it  must  be  recorded  that 
Emanu-El  of  San  Francisco,  through  its  laity,  was  among  the  first 
to  give  adhesion  to  the  Cleveland  Conference  resolutions  that  would 
ultimately  lead  to  the  regeneration  of  Judaism.  The  Minhag  Ash- 
'  kenaz  was  doomed  from  the  date  of  that  meeting. 

On  March  9,  1856,  the  Rev.  II.  M.  Bien  was  elected  "Lecturer 
and  Teacher*'  to  the  Congregation.  Up  to  that  time  the  basement 
of  the  Synagogue  had  been  uninhabitable;   but  at  the  same  meeting 

•officers  elected  for  1855-56 :  S.  K.  Meyer.  President;  1.  Bloomingdale,  Vice-President;  A.  Tandler, 
Treasurer;  H.  J.  Labatt,  Secretary;  Philip  Schloss,  "•  KiKeiisburger,  A.  Godchaux,  A.  Wasserman,  M. 
Frank,  Trustees. 


$2  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

the  membership  decided  to  borrow  another  thousand  dollars  to  finish 
the  basement  and  provide  decent  school  rooms  for  the  children,  who 
until  then  had  been  compelled  to  meet  outside  the  Synagogue. 

Note.— The  Rev.  Herman  M.  Bien  came  to  San  Francisco  when  scarcely  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  During  the  administration  of  President  Bloomingdale  he  officiated 
as  "  Lecturer  and  Reader  "  to  the  Congregation  Emanu-El,  and  his  services  are  men- 
tioned in  the  annual  report  of  October  19,  1S56,  as  follows  : 

"  I  cannot  omit  to  make  honorable  mention  of  the  labors  of  the  gentleman  who  now 
fills  the  station  of  Lecturer  to  this  Congregation.  Through  his  suggestion,  and  by  his 
assistance,  many  reforms  in  our  Synagogue  service  have  been  introduced,  many  forms 
abolished  in  no  way  essential  to  a  proper  mode  of  devout  worship,  and  the  rising  genera- 
tion are  beneficially  influenced  during  their  attendance  at  divine  services  by  his  instruc- 
tion and  example." 

Upon  the  completion  of  his  term  of  office  Mr.  Bien  remained  in  San  Francisco,  engag- 
ing in  teaching  and  journalistic  work.  He  founded  the  Voice  of  Israel  a  few  weeks  after 
Dr.  Eckman's  Gleaner  appeared.  In  1S60  Mr.  Bien  retired  from  professional  life,  re-en- 
tering it  in  1SS1  as  the  minister  of  the  Beth  Shalom  Congregation  of  Chicago.  Subsequently 
he  served  in  Dallas,  Texas,  and  Yicksburg,  Miss.,  and  died  at  the  latter  place  three  years 
ago.  During  his  later  years  Mr.  Bien  was  much  devoted  to  literature,  and  several  of  his 
works  have  been  published. 

Meanwhile  the  officers  were  in  active  correspondence  to  secure  a 
Rabbi.  Interesting  letters  appear  in  the  archives.  Mr.  Bien,  who 
had  been  elected  for  three  months,  was  re-appointed  for  four  more; 
but  the  Congregation  was  constantly  in  receipt  of  communications  in 
response  to  its  advertisements.  Amongst  the  earliest  candidates  was 
the  Rev.  H.  A.  Henry,  then  of  New  York,  and  afterwards  of  the 
Sherith  Israel  Congregation.  (Minutes,  Vol.  I,  page  77).  There  are 
letters  from  a  Rev.  Herman  Hoelzel,  who  signed  himself  "  Chief- 
Rabbi  of  the  Australian  Colonies,"  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Steinberger, 
afterwards  the  Reader  of  Beth-El  Congregation  of  New  York,  and 
from  the  learned  Isidore  Kalisch. 

President  Bloomingdale  was  an  earnest,  painstaking  man,  fully 
alive  to  the  difficulties  of  his  position.  A  copy  of  a  letter,  written  by 
him  to  Henry  Seligman,  then  in  New  York,  fully  explains  the 
troubles  of  his  administration  and  casts  an  interesting  light  upon  the 
condition  of  the  Congregation.  "Understanding  that  you  will  have 
returned  to  New  York,"  writes  Bloomingdale  under  date  of  June  ist, 
"and  being  well  aware  that  though  temporarily  absent  from  here, 
you  continue  to  take  the  same  lively  interest  in  the  welfare  and  pros- 
perity of  the  Congregation  over  which  you  have  so  worthily  presided 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  53 

for  a  considerable  length  of  time,  I  take  the  liberty  of  addressing  you 
on  a  subject  of  the  deepest  interest,  the  proper  management  of  which 
will  have,  I  may  say,  an  everlasting  effect  on  its  future  existence  and 
standing. 

"  Your    predictions    have    literally    come    to    pass.  *     *     Dr. 

Eckman  could  not  be  re-elected.  But  it  has  cost  us  the  services  of 
Meyer  and  Labatt  as  President  and  Secretary.     *     *  I  consented 

to  serve  as  President  only  after  it  became  apparent  that  Mr.  Meyer 
would  not  serve  under  any  consideration.  My  first  act  after  being 
installed  was  to  find  means  to  cancel  our  floating  debt  and  have  it  on 
just  such  a  footing  as  will  protect  us  against  paying  exorbitant  inter- 
est. I  feel  proud  to  be  able  to  inform  you  that  in  less  than 
a  fortnight  $3,000  was  raised,  two-thirds  by  scrip,  one-third  by  dona- 
tions, to  pay  off  our  mortgage.  Of  the  outstanding  bills  over  $2,000 
was  canceled  with  the  proceeds  of  the  seats;  $1,000  was  advanced 
by  the  Board  of  Trustees  without  interest.  So  we  are  comparatively 
out  of  debt — at  least  we  have  no  interest  to  pay  (the  interest  on  scrip 
thus  far  applied  for  does  not  amount  to  more  than  $411),  and  our  lia- 
bilities do  not  press  us  nor  weigh  us  down.  The  main  object  of  all  this 
financiering  is  to  enable  us  to  apply  our  income  principally  to  paying 
a  good  salary  to  a  good  Minister,  Reader  and  Teacher.  It  will  be 
$3,000  for  the  right  man.  We  have  advertised  already;  if  you  take 
the  trouble  to  look  at  an  Asmona-an  or  Occident  you  will  find  our 
announcement. 

"  Finding  it  necessary,  however,  that  our  wants  be  better  under- 
stood, I  will  write  to  the  Rev.  Isaac  Leeser  and  Dr.  Merzbacher;  but 
better  yet,  my  dear  friend,  you  know  better  than  either  of  these  gen- 
tlemen what  our  needs  are  and  therefore  would  confer  an  everlasting 
favor  upon  the  Congregation  by  taking  the  matter  in  hand  as  far  as 
your  time  will  permit  you.  You  know  our  community;  you  know 
what  kind  of  a  man  is  required  to  labor  satisfactorily  in  our  midst : 
'you  would  effect  a  great  deal  by  having  a  personal  interview  with 
these  Eastern  Rabbis.  I    must   not  forget  to  tell  you  that 

Mr.  Welhof,  good  man,  though  elected  Ilazan  for  twelve  months,  is 
willing  to  resign  whenever  we  shall  have  the  good  fortune  of  secur- 
ing the  services  of  a  fully  competent  man.  The  non-elec- 
tion of  Dr.  Eckman  has  cost  us  many  members,  but  we  must 
persevere." 


54  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

Thus,  hopefully,  wrote  this  brave  and  pious  man.  The  congrega- 
tion was  beset  with  difficulties.  Dr.  Eckman's  friends  resented  his 
non-election  as  a  reflection  on  his  abilities,  and  the  presence  of  Mr. 
Bien  in  the  pulpit  of  Emanu-El  induced  them  to  institute  compari- 
sons, which  still  farther  widened  the  breach.  Mr.  Seligman  wrote 
from  New  York  that  it  was  impossible  to  find  a  Rabbi  capable  of 
meeting  the  demands  of  the  Congregation.  But  matters  were  mend- 
ing rapidly.  Financially,  the  Congregation  began  to  recover  from  its 
difficulties.  The  annual  meeting  of  1856  (October  19th)  resolved, 
"That  the  administration  of  President  Bloomingdale  will  leave  a 
favorable  impress  upon  the  affairs  of  the  Congregation  that  will  be 
evident  for  years  to  come,  and  that  it  is  chiefly  owing  to  his  great 
devotion  and  untiring  energy  that  the  affairs  of  the  Congregation  are 
at  present  in  their  very  flourishing  condition."  At  the  same  meeting 
L.  Tichener  was  elected  President.  In  his  annual  report  President 
Bloomingdale  apostrophized  one  of  the  difficulties  attending  his 
administration  in  the  following  graphic  language : 

"  You  will,  I  trust,  grant  me  the  privilege  of  recalling  to  your  mind 
the  very  numerous  difficulties  under  which  our  Congregation  was 
laboring  when,  last  year,  you  honored  me  with  your  choice.  A  very 
large,  very  respectable  and  influential  number  of  our  members  felt 
themselves  aggrieved  at  the  course  pursued  by  a  majority  of  the 
society.  Discord  and  ill-feeling  were  the  first  evil  fruits  arising  from 
that  misunderstanding.  Secession  followed  in  its  wake,  and  disunion 
stared  us  in  the  face.  But,  thanks  to  the  second,  sober  thought  of 
most  of  those  who  then  opposed  us,  and  the  reasonableness  and  jus- 
tice of  our  demands  and  our  cause,  that  dire  calamity,  disunion,  was 
spared  us ;  and,  though  we  had  to  submit  to  a  withdrawal  of  a  few 
on  that  score,  yet  the  largest  and,  I  am  rejoiced  to  say,  the  most 
acceptable  portion  of  those  who  differed  with  us  have  adhered  to 
us.     *     *     *"  * 

In  the  course  of  President  Tichener's  administration  the  reform 
movement  began  to  be  felt  in  the  Congregation.  A  meeting  of 
November  2,  1856,  resolved  "  to  appoint  a  committee  of  eleven  to 
recommend  a  new  mode  of  worship  (consistent  with  our  Constitution) 
and  that  such  be  brought  forward  at  a  meeting  of  the  Congregation 

*  yoke  of  Israel  of  Friday,  October  24,  1S56,  Vol.  I,  No.  3. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  55 

for  their  approval  or  otherwise."  In  his  annual  report,  Mr.  Bloom- 
ingdale  had  already  called  attention  to  sundry  changes  introduced  in 
the  Ritual;  and  from  that  time  forward  the  gradual  conversion  of 
Emanu-El  into  a  Reform  Congregation  is  to  be  noted.  Tichener's 
administration  was  conservative.  In  his  time  a  choir  became  a  per- 
manent feature  of  the  worship,  and  energetic  steps  were  taken  to 
secure  a  minister.  But,  somehow,  whilst  meeting  after  meeting 
debated  this  proposition,  it  seemed  impossible  to  select  the  proper 
man.  In  February,  '57,  Mr.  Bien's  term  of  office  expired,  and  Hazan 
Welhof  was  again  installed.  During  that  year  the  spirit  of  the  Con- 
gregation was  manifested  in  a  resolution  that  deserves  to  be  published 
in  full.  A  question  had  arisen  of  sub-letting  the  basement  of  the 
synagogue  to  the  city  for  conducting  a  public  school.  Many  of  the 
members  opposed  the  proposition.  Accustomed  as  they  were  to 
heated  discussions,  and  fearing  the  danger  of  withdrawals,  a  special 
meeting  of  March  9,  1857,  before  discussing  the  merit  of  the  above 
question,  passed  the  following  Resolution: 

"  Resolved,  Whatever  may  be  the  decision  of  this  meeting  relative 
to  matters  now  pending  before  the  Congregation, 

That  we  all  hold  that  a  majority  is  recognized  as  the  ruling  power; 
and  it  shall  furthermore  be  the  duty  of  every  member  to  restore  the 
peace  and  harmony  to  the  Congregation  that  has  hitherto  prevailed." 

The  ayes  and  nays  being  called  on  the  resolution,  the  vote  stood 
aye,  80;    nay,  none.     Mr.  Louis  Cohn  was  the  proponent. 

Thus  did  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  make  history  for  itself  in 
the  fifties. 

On  April  12th,  1856,  Daniel  Levy  had  been  elected  Teacher  of 
the  Congregation. 

Note. — A  short  biography  of  this  brilliant  and  much  venerated  gentleman  may  be 
considered  in  place  at  this  point.  Daniel  Levy  was  born  in  1826,  in  Lixheim,  belonging 
to  that  part  of  Lorraine  that  has  since  been  annexed  to  Germany.  Educated  as  a  teacher, 
ljis  first  position  was  in  Alsace.  In  1849  the  French  government  appointed  him  Prini  ipal 
of  the  public  school  newly  created  in  I  (ran  1  Algeria)  for  the  native  Jewish  boys  of  thai 
city.  The  following  year  he  was  called  in  the  same  capacity  to  Algiers,  the  capital  oi  the 
country.  In  February,  1855,  he  came  to  San  Francisco,  attracted  by  his  brothers  and 
sisters  who  had  come  some  years  before.  Upon  his  arrival  he  engaged  in  commercial 
enterprises  without  any  signal  success  and  -Revenant  a  ses  premieres  amours— he 
devoted  himself  again  to  the  cause  of  education.  In  1856,  April  12th,  he  was  elected 
teacher  of  the  Hebrew  and  religious  school  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El.     In  1  onn<  1 


56 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 


tion  with  this  institution  he  opened  a  day  school  in  the  basement  of  the  Synagogue,  and 
surrounded  himself  with  a  staff  of  American  teachers.  The  following  year  (1857)  the 
Congregation  re-elected  him,  and  at  the  same  time  appointed  him  Reader,  although  he 
frankly  declared  he  had  never  before  filled  such  an  office.  But  Daniel  Levy  was  a  good 
Hebrew  scholar,  had  a  fine  voice  and  considerable  knowledge  of  vocal  music;  being,  in 
fact,  a  man  of  splendid  education  and  varied  attainments.  He  was  maintained  in  both 
positions  until  1864,  barring  a  few  months'  interruption  caused  by  ill-health.  He  was  the 
first  Cantor  of  the  Congregation  to  officiate  with  a  permanently  organized  choir.  On  several 
occasions,  in  the  absence  of  a  Rabbi  he  occupied,  with  much  satisfaction  to  the  Congrega- 
tion, the  deserted  pulpit,  always  modestly  remembering  and  quoting  Hillel's  words: 
"  Where  there  are  no  men,  strive  thou  to  be  a  man."  In  1S64  his  health  failing,  he 
resigned  his  position  and  returned  to  France.  Settling  in  Paris,  he  became  connected 
with  political  and  literary  journalism.  Ever  since  1S50  and  until  recently  he  has  been  one 
of  the  most  active  contributors  to  the  Archives  Israelites,  a  Jewish  paper  published  in  the 
French  capital.  In  the  fall  of  1869  he  went  to  Austria  to  study  the  complicated  political 
and  racial  conditions  of  that  empire.  The  results  of  his  studies  were  incorporated  in  a 
work  entitled  V  Autriche-Hongrie,  ses  Institutions  ct  ses  Nationalitcs,  which  appeared 
in  Paris  in  1S71.  In  the  latter  part  of  1S71,  after  the  close  of  the  French-German  war, 
Daniel  Levy  returned  to  San  Francisco.  He  was  soon  appointed  teacher  of  French  and 
German  in  the  Boys'  High  School  and  filled  that  position  until  18S1,  when  the  study  of  all 
modern  foreign  languages  was  abolished  in  all  the  public  schools  of  San  Francisco.  Mr. 
Levy,  especially  since  he  gave  up  teaching,  has  devoted  a  great  deal  of  his  time  to  the 
general  interest  of  the  French  colony  of  this  city.  He  has  been  several  times  Vice-Presi- 
dent of  the  French  Hospital  Society.  As  President  of  the  French  National  League,  he 
was  the  principal  promoter  and  director  of  the  "great  French  library  which  now  numbers 
20,000  volumes.  As  President  of  the  French  Alliance,  he  founded  a  French  school,  com- 
posed of  fourteen  classes,  in  which  French  and  its  literature  is  taught  i.i  the  afternoons, 
after  the  adjournment  of  the  public  schools.  This  school  is  open  to  all  denominations 
and  nationalities.  Aside  from  his  work  on  Austria-Hungary,  Mr.  Levy  wrote  the  first 
sketch  of  the  famous  travels  of  Benjamin  "the  Second."  He  also  wrote  a  "  History  of  the 
French  in  California,"  from  the  time  of  their  arrival  after  the  discovery  of  the  gold  mines 
until  the  year  1S84,  an  extensive  work  which  was  published  in  San  Francisco.  Whilst  in 
Algiers  he  received  from  the  minister  of  public  education  a  mention  honorable  and  a 
bronze  medal.  During  recent  years  the  French  government  recognized  Mr.  Levy's  valu- 
able services  by  awarding  him  the  decoration  of  an  Officier  d'Academie.  At  the  age  of 
seventy-four,  though  not  in  as  robust  health  as  we  could  wish,  Daniel  Levy  still  abides 
with  us,  an  object  of  honor  and  veneration  to  all  his  former  pupils,  and  deservedly 
esteemed  as  one  of  the  most  distinguished  and  foremost  Jewish  citizens  of  California. 

August  9,  1857,  letters  were  submitted  to  the  Congregation  from 
Rabbis  of  the  highest  standing  who  desired  to  be  elected  to  the 
vacant  pulpit.  The  biographers  of  Isaac  M.  Wise  should  notice  that 
the  great  old  champion,  after  his  unfortunate  Albany  experiences, 
desired  to  come  to  San  Francisco.*  It  is  useless  to  speculate,  at  this 
time,  on  the  effect  his  removal  to  the  Coast  would  have  had  on  the 

*  Miuutes  of  the  Congregation  Kmauu-Kl,  Vol.  i,  page  U9. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  $j 

progress  of  American  Judaism.  There  was  a  letter  from  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Levysohn,  Rabbi  of  Worms,  and  another  from  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Illoway,  then  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  at  that  time  already  one  of  the 
indomitable  champions  of  orthodoxy,  and  probably  the  most  learned 
conservative  of  the  times  resident  in  an  American  community.  There 
was  also  a  communication,  with  testimonials,  from  Dr.  Elias  Greene- 
baum,  the  author  of  the  Sittcnlehre  des  Judenthums  and  Bczirks- 
rabbiner  of  Landau.  The  reputation  of  this  distinguished  scholar  and 
Rabbi,  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  the  German  Conferences,  that 
contributed  so  much  to  the  revival  of  Jewish  learning,  justified  the 
enthusiastic  acclaims  with  which  the  mere  mention  of  his  name  was 
greeted.  Whilst  the  officers  had  been  in  communication  with  a  num- 
ber of  eminent  Rabbis,  and  several  names  had  been  favorably  dis- 
cussed, it  was  generally  conceded  that  if  Dr.  Greenebaum  of  Landau 
could  be  secured  the  consideration  of  every  other  name  should  be 
suspended.  For  that  great  Rabbi  stood  on  the  heights,  together  with 
a  few  others,  David  Einhorn  included,  who  had  just  then  arrived  in 
the  United  States;  and  it  was  realized  by  the  membership  that  the 
advent  of  Dr.  Greenebaum  would  immediately  force  Emanu-El  to 
the  front  as  one  of  the  intelligent  factors  in  the  religious  revolution 
Isaac  M.  Wise  had  precipitated  and  which  even  then  began  to  assume 
national  proportions.  This  requires  honorable  mention  :  That  Emanu- 
El  of  San  Francisco,  conscious  of  impending  changes,  ready  for  its 
responsibility  in  so  grave  a  matter  as  the  radical  change  of  external 
forms,  desired  to  place  itself,  at  considerable  sacrifice,  under  the 
leadership  of  a  Rabbi  whose  piety,  eminent  station  and  generally 
acknowledged  learning  would  be  an  earnest  of  the  sincerity  of  its  own 
intentions.  Dr.  Elias  Greenebaum  was  unanimously  elected  Rabbi  of 
Emanu-El  of  San  Francisco  on  Sunday,  August  9,  1857,  under  the 
following  resolution: 

"  Resolved,  That  this  Congregation  elect  Dr.  Elias  Greenebaum  for 
'the  term  of  six  years  at  an  annual  salary  of  $3,000,  with  the  usual 
perquisites,  together  with  $500  as  traveling  expenses. 

"  Resolved,  That  all  resolutions  conflicting  with  this  action  be  and 
are  hereby  rescinded." 

Over  eighty  members  attended  this  meeting,  and  so  great  was  the 
enthusiasm   that  Dr.    Greenebaum's  traveling  expenses  were  almost 


5<5>  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El . 

immediately  secured  by  private  subscription.  It  was  only  a  week 
afterwards  that  the  Board  took  important  action  in  the  matter  of 
changing  the  Minhag.  Somewhat  timidly,  and  by  a  small  majority 
vote,  it  was  decided  to  purchase  a  melodeon  and  place  it  in  the  choir. 
During  the  holidays  of  that  year  the  Rev.  H.  A.  Henry,  a  recent 
arrival,  preached  acceptably  and  was  duly  thanked  by  the  Board 
(Minutes,  Vol.  I,  p.  123).  The  Congregation  was  flourishing.  Its 
pressing  debts  had  been  removed.  The  advent  of  Dr.  Greenebaum 
was  hopefully  expected.  The  new  melodeon  had  produced  little,  if 
any,  friction.  A  few  members  had  resigned,  but  many  others  had 
joined  the  ranks;  and  the  Congregation,  as  a  further  earnest  of  its 
growing,  progressive  tendencies,  recalled  Henry  Seligman  to  the 
Chair  (October  4,  1857). 

Note. — Mr.  L.  Tichener,  President  of  Emanu-El,  1856-1857,  continued  to  serve  the 
Congregation  in  many  capacities  until  his  death,  thirty  years  later.  He  was  a  pious,  sin- 
cere and  capable  man,  who  watched  the  growth  of  his  beloved  Congregation,  from  year 
to  year,  with  a  paternal  solicitude.     May  the  Eternal  reward  his  pious  labors! 

The  Congregation  had  not  yet  finally  emanated  from  its  troubles. 
The  careful  administration  of  President  Tichener  had  financially 
placed  the  Congregation  in  a  safe  position.  It  was  justly  assumed 
that  his  successor  would  render  that  position  still  stronger.  But  the 
strife  resulting  from  divided  opinions  on  ritual  subjects  had  reached 
San  Francisco.  The  "  melodeon  "  was  but  the  forerunner  of  changes 
demanded  by  an  element  of  the  membership  and  as  hotly  contested 
by  another.  The  worst  feature  of  these  growing  dissensions  had 
been  that  Dr.  Greenebaum,  misinformed  regarding  the  status  of  the 
Congregation,  felt  constrained  to  reconsider  his  acceptance  of  the 
pulpit  of  Emanu-El.  On  April  4,  1858,  the  Congregation  reluctantly 
released  him,  and  henceforward  determined,  not  without  serious  dis- 
cussion, to  await  a  more  favorable  opportunity  for  securing  a  Rabbi. 

Note. — Dr.  Elias  Greenebaum  was  one  of  the  great  German  Rabbis  of  the  latter  half 
of  the  century.  Born  September  10,  1807,  in  Reipoltskirchen,  Pfalz,  he  pursued  theolog- 
ical studies  in  Mayence,  Mannheim  and  Frankfort.  In  1S35,  he  was  appointed  Landrab- 
biner  of  the  principality  of  Birkenfeld;  and  the  following  year,  Bczirksrabbiner  of  Landau, 
which  office  he  held  until  his  death,  September  29,  1893,  for  a  period  of  fifty-seven  years. 
It  is  related  that  the  sixteen  candidates  for  the  Rabbinate  at  Birkenfeld  included  Wechsler 
and  David  Einhorn,  but  that  Greenebaum  passed  the  best  examination.  He  was  amongst 
the  most  progressive  of  the  German  Rabbis  of  the  period ;  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  he 
would  have  been  able  to  adapt  himself  to  the  conditions  of  American  life  and  habits. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  $g 

Dr.  Greenebaum  has  contributed  very  materially  to  the  removal  of  German-Jewish  dis- 
abilities, being  mainly  instrumental  in  the  revocation  of  the  oath  more  Judaico  (1862), 
and  in  the  suspension  of  Napoleon's  infamous  edict  of  March  17,  180S,  restricting  the 
commercial  rights  of  the  Bavarian  Jews.  Of  his  published  writings,  the  best  known  is 
his  "Sittenlehre  des  Judenthums"  (1867),  a  work  that  attracted  much  attention  in  non- 
Jewish  circles.  Dr.  Greenebaum  was  also  a  liberal  contributor  to  the  Jewish  literary 
magazines  of  his  period,  such  as  Jost's  Annalen,  /?<;/  Chananjah,  Geiger's  Zeilschrift, 
etc.  His  articles  have  a  classical  tone,  and  are  full  of  originality  and  sound  learning. 
His  attitude  in  the  Conferences  was  more  that  of  an  intelligent  observer  than  of  an  active 
participant,  though  his  progressive  tendencies  may  be  judged  from  the  "Gutachten"  he 
addressed  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  of  San  Francisco  (1S60)  in  which  he  unreservedly 
approved  of  the  removal  of  the  hat  during  divine  services.  Dr.  Greenebaum's  long  and 
faithful  services  were  recognized  by  the  government  of  Bavaria  by  elevating  him  to  the 
Order  of  the  Knights  of  St.  Michael  (1SS6),  the  last  official  act  of  King  Louis  before  his 
death. 

The  contentions  arising  from  the  refusal  of  Dr.  Greenebaum  to 
come  to  California,  and  the  steady  determination  of  the  Board  to 
gradually  change  the  form  of  worship,  had  best  remain  untold  as  in- 
essential to  the  progress  of  these  chronicles.  Most  of  the  partici- 
pants in  that  contest,  which  only  ceased  after  the  advent  of  Dr.  Elkan 
Cohn,  have  gone  to  their  eternal  home,  and  it  is  wise  to  let  all  the 
rancor  of  that  period  be  buried  with  them.  But  out  of  the  trials  of 
1858,  1859  and  i860,  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  rose  with  renewed 
strength,  its  welfare  safely  guarded  by  the  indefatigable  Seligman 
and  his  faithful  co-workers  of  the  Board.  Little  of  these  troubles 
was  permitted  to  reach  the  public  ear.  Externally  the  Congregation 
and  the  community  appeared  strong  and  prosperous,  and  stood  high 
in  the  public  esteem.*  The  time  was  near  when  the  Congregation 
Emanu-El  would  formally  declare  its  adhesion  to  the  Reform  move- 
ment. Before  proceeding,  therefore,  with  these  Chronicles,  let  us 
briefly  review  the  causes  of  that  great  movement,  so  far  as  it  affected 
the  Jewish  communities  of  the  United  States.  The  first  ten  years  of 
the  history  of  Emanu-El  have  thus  been  elaborately  traced  in  order 
to  present  the  difficulties  with  which  the  organization  had  to  contend. 
"Remarkable,  indeed,  is  the  stead}-,  numerical  growth  of  the  Congre- 
gation. Within  the  first  decade  of  its  existence  it  had  attained  to  a 
membership  of  nearly  250.    This  number  fairly  represents  over  1,200 

•Atonement  Day  of  1*58,  falling  on  October  20,  the  date  of  the  departure  of  the  mail  steamers. 
Postmaster  Charles  L.  Wcller,  as  a  mark  of  respect  to  the  Jewish  merchants,  ordered  their  departure 
postponed  until  the  following  day. 


6o 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 


people  then  represented  in  the  Congregation,  and  if  the  same  ratio 
prevailed  then  as  now,  the  Jewish  community  of  San  Francisco  in 
i860  must  have  numbered  not  less  than  10,000  people.  The  two 
Congregations,  Emanu-El  and  Sherith  Israel,  represented  two  equally 
strong  and  active  elements ;  and  the  representatives  of  both  institu- 
tions often  consulted  in  matters  affecting  the  welfare  of  the  general 
community.  Emanu-El  had  outgrown  the  seating  capacity  of  the 
Broadway  Synagogue.  Its  membership  began  to  assume  that  repre- 
sentative character  it  has  retained  ever  since ;  and  from  the  close  of 
the  first  decade  of  its  existence  we  notice  a  steadily  growing  move- 
ment towards  erecting  another  Synagogue,  the  beauty  and  stateli- 
ness  of  which  should  be  commensurate  with  the  growing  powers 
of  the  community  itself.  The  latter  had  attained  to  its  full  propor- 
tions. Its  great  merchants  as  well  as  its  professional  men  ranked 
amongst  the  foremost  and  enterprising  citizens  of  California.  And 
to  them  belonged  the  initiative  to  the  rearing  upon  its  foundations 
of  the  imposing  Synagogue,  the  history  of  which  is  to  be  given  in 
another  chapter. 


II. 

The  Story  of  Reform  Judaism  Briefly  Retold. 


HE  causes  that  led  the  Temple  Emanu-El  of  San  Francisco 
to  gradually  depart  from  the  provisions  of  its  constitution 

*L  of  1850  and  ultimately  join  the  ranks  of  the  Reform  Con- 
gregations  of  the  United  States  deserve  an  elaborate  con- 
sideration.     Whatever  our   foreign    brethren    know,  or    do 

not  know,  of  these  causes,  is  based  upon  prejudices,  acquired 
by  listening  to  ex-parte  information  given  by  ignorant  critics,  or  by 
reading  the  amusing  descriptions  of  American-Jewish  life  in  unrelia- 
ble and  biased  journals.*  All  information  in  former  years  scattered 
abroad  tended  to  establish  the  fact  that  the  so-called  Jews  of  America 
not  only  wilfully  violated  the  law  as  interpreted  by  strict  Rabbin- 
ism,  but  had  deliberately  departed  from  the  paths  of  their  faith  to 
prostrate  themselves  before  stranger  gods,  whilst  lacking  the  courage 
to  openly  proclaim  their  abandonment  of  their  ancestral  religion,  its 
traditions,  obligations  and  teachings.  I  will  comment  no  further  on 
this  very  remarkable  prejudice  than  to  say  that  some  years  ago, 
whilst  traveling  in  Europe,  I  encountered  the  crassest  ignorance 
regarding  American  Jews  generally,  and  their  religious  affairs  in  par- 
ticular. My  old  teacher  was  not  the  only  one  who  tried  to  make  me 
realize  the  enormity  of  the  crime  of  being  a  so-called  reform  Jew. 
In  England  ignorance  of  American  Judaism  is  apostrophized  by  a 
supercilious,  contemptuous  pooh-poohing  of  anything  that  is  said  in  its 
defense,  and  the  most  charming  English  hospitality  of  which  I  then  was 
the  recipient,  was  somewhat  marred  by  rather  rancorous  discussions, 
which  revealed  my  respected  host's  complete  ignorance  on  the  sub- 
ject of  Judaism  in  the  States.  It  is  a  known  fact  that  Dr.  Adler, 
whom  I  did  not  have  the  honor  of  meeting,  discredits  any  Rabbi  com- 
ing from  America,  and,  with  every  courteous  attitude  towards  them 

•An  amusing  description  of  the  "  Conditions  of  the  Jews  of  California,"  and  particularly  of  the 
"destructive  reform"  introduced  by  "a  certain  Or.  Klkan  Colin,"  is  given  in  the  Mainzer  Israelit. 
Vol.  Ill,  No.  18,  April  30,  1862. 


62  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

as  gentlemen,  will  refuse  to  invite  them  to  occupy  an  English  pul- 
pit, and  will  not  sanction  an  invitation  to  any  American-Jewish 
clergyman  to  address  an  Anglo-Jewish  congregation  during  the 
stated  services  of  the  synagogue.  Whilst  this  attitude  of  Dr. 
Adler  may  be  thoroughly  explicable  from  his  own  standpoint, 
though  it  is  a  source  of  offense  to  such  as  covet  the  distinction  of 
addressing  English  congregations,  there  seems  to  be  in  the  well- 
stored  mind  of  the  Chief  Rabbi  of  Great  Britain  a  doubt  as  to  the 
religious  fitness  of  the  Americans  to  expound  the  faith  to  the  flocks 
of  his  pasture,  and  he  evidently  dreads  the  influence  of  seditious  lan- 
guage commonly  attributed  to  American  Rabbis.  I  found  the  French 
more  tolerant.  They  speak  in  the  highest  terms  of  our  charitable 
institutions,  but  even  they  have  but  an  eloquently  expressive  shrug  of 
the  shoulders  for  our  synagogues  and  the  teachings  of  our  Rabbis. 
The  Germans,  who  are  mainly  responsible  for  the  development  of 
our  peculiar  tendencies,  if  peculiar  they  be,  have  forgotten  that  re- 
sponsibility in  the  tide  of  conservatism  that  has  swept  over  them,  and 
even  the  most  radical  scholars  will  somewhat  cautiously  venture  the 
opinion  that  "  we  are  going  too  far."  It  is  very  pleasant,  in  the  face 
of  such  discouraging  evidences  of  ignorance,  to  note  the  hopeful  lan- 
guage which  men  like  the  learned  and  venerable  Steinschneider  were 
pleased  to  address  me  when  this  same  subject  was  under  discus- 
sion. "The  discerning  Jew  of  Europe,"  said  Professor  Stein- 
schneider, "  looks  with  expectancy  towards  America.  We  expect 
great  things  of  you  in  the  twentieth  century.  You  will  write  a  new 
chapter  in  Jewish  history." 

The  hoary  sage  of  Berlin  gave  expression  to  the  hope  that  reposes 
in  the  breast  of  American  scholars  themselves — the  hope  that,  under 
God's  blessing,  they  may  be  able  to  add  an  interesting  chapter  to  the 
chronicles  of  Israel's  achievements.  Feeling  themselves,  in  no  sense 
whatever,  a  dissenting  or  sectarian  element,  believing  that  the  lines 
along  which  they  proceed  are  sanctioned  by  both  law  and  history,  the 
twofold  voice  of  Deity  to  man,  with  the  tenderest  and  most  loyal 
attachment  to  anything  that  is  truly  Jewish,  that  tends  to  ennoble 
the  ancient  name  of  Israel  and  fortify  its  position  in  the  Diaspora,  the 
American  representatives  of  the  old  faith  cannot  but  be  deeply 
affected   by  the  persistent  prejudices  with  which  their  labors  and  the 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  6j 

popular  tendencies  of  the  communities  in  which  they  live  are  regarded. 
To  be  sure,  there  is  some  difference  between  Steinschneider  and  the 
Rabbis  of  occidental  Europe — I  hazard  the  opinion  that  the  orient 
would  judge  us  a  trifle  more  leniently.  The  Rabbis,  I  fear  me, 
regard  only  our  external  conditions  and  forms,  so  far  as  these  have 
come  to  their  knowledge.  To  a  Rabbinist,  a  Legalist,  or  whatever 
the  faithful  adherents  to  traditional  Judaism  may  be  called,  the  exter- 
nal conditions  and  forms  of  American  Judaism  present  perplexities 
which  would  easily  inspire  him  with  a  doubt  whether  the  religion  of 
American  Jews  be  not  merely  the  convenient  apology,  which  they 
have  in  common  with  the  indifferentists  of  Europe,  and  whether  the 
service  of  the  American  synagogue  be  not  too  radical  a  departure 
from  the  traditional  lines, — a  departure  that  could  be  sanctioned  only 
on  the  ground  of  expediency,  which  is  no  ground  whatever  in  religion. 
Only  the  casual  observer  who  happens  to  be  Rabbinist  or  Legalist, 
and  who  is  usually  inspired  with  a  degree  of  antagonism  that  leads  to 
the  most  unreasonable  condemnation,  forgets  to  look  beneath  these 
externals  for  the  evidences  of  an  intellectual  and  spiritual  struggle, 
that  is  growing  stronger  and  fiercer  with  the  years,  and  that  is  mainly 
responsible  for  the  shifting  forms  and  conditions  that  fall  under  his 
physical  vision.  He  knows  nothing  of  us.  Why  we  are  compelled  to 
discard  Talmudical  legalism  and  still  believe  ourselves  to  be  Jews; 
why  we  modernize  the  service,  and  still  believe  to  engage  in  the  true 
worship  of  the  God  of  Israel;  why  we  have  parted  with  the  nationalistic 
tendencies  of  the  great  body  of  European  Jews,  and  still  believe  our- 
selves to  be  an  integral  element  in  the  confraternity  of  Israel;  why  we 
permit  ourselves  to  enter  the  schools  of  radical  text-criticism,  and  still 
hold  to  the  inspired  character  of  the  Word ;  why  we  are  faithful  dis- 
ciples of  science,  accepting  its  exact  truths,  and  still  hold  fast  to  God 
and  the  cardinal  teachings  of  Jewish  faith, — he  does  not  know,  and  does 
not  understand  the  answer  to  such  important  questions,  because  he  has 
not  lived  our  lives,  he  has  not  participated  in  our  struggles,  he  has  not 
the  faintest  perception  of  the  stern  fact  that  this  America  is  a  new  world 
indeed,  that  its  people  are  a  new  people,  and  that  the  elements  thereof 
in  whose  veins  still  flows  a  moiety  of  the  blood  of  the  ancient  "  Beni 
Israel,"  is  in  the  very  midst  of  an  educational  period  from  which  their 
children  are  to  emanate  most  thorough  Americans  and  faithful  God-f  ear- 


64  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

ing  Jews.  The  Rabbinist  whose  affectionate  eye  always  turns  with 
regret  towards  Babylon  or  Mediaeval  Europe,  does  not  realize  how  little 
of  the  legalism  or  ritualism  of  the  past  fits  in  the  lives  of  our  American 
Jewry,  and  that  its  evanescence  is  due,  not  to  indifference,  not  to 
convenience,  not  to  the  arbitrary  processes  of  teaching,  but  purely 
and  solely  to  the  fact  that  it  has  no  longer  a  place  in  the  educational 
tendencies  of  America,  from  which  the  Jew  cannot  exclude  himself 
without  becoming  as  peculiar  as  his  grandfather  in  Poland  or  Ger- 
many has  been.  And  we  do  not  wish  to  become  "peculiar."  We 
want  to  be  Jews,  and  with  the  same  degree  of  fervor  we  want  to  be 
Americans,  in  no  other  sense  than  the  purely  religious,  distinguishable 
from  our  fellow-citizens. 

On  the  other  hand,  assuming  that  there  is  warrant  for  this  whole- 
sale condemnation  of  our  external  conditions,  so  far  as  they  apper- 
tain to  conduct  and  practice,  it  is  impossible  to  see  any  difference, 
even  in  degree,  between  them  and  the  conditions  prevailing  in 
Europe.  External  European  religion,  or  irreligion,  is  as  severely 
condemnable  as  its  officials  are  pleased  to  condemn  external  reform. 
I  have  been  unable  to  see,  and  I  profess  to  be  unprejudiced,  wherein 
this  boasted  European  orthodoxy  has  the  advantage  of  us.  It  theo- 
rizes enough,  God  wot;  but  the  smile  of  derision  rests  on  the  lips  of 
thousands  of  European  Jews  because  of  the  hopeless  weakness  of  its 
theories.  There  is  enough  outward  show  of  adherence  to  practice 
and  forms,  a  sort  of  official  obedience  to  traditions,  but  the  syna- 
gogues are  deserted  by  the  educated  and  the  hearthstones  are 
widowed  of  the  ancestral  domestic  faith.  Irreligion  stalks  abroad 
and  all  the  frantic  philippics  of  the  preachers  can  not  stem  the  inun- 
dation of  rationalism,  scepticism,  indifferentism  and  infidelity.  At  a 
time  when  my  heart  ached  at  the  visible  decline  and  degeneracy  of 
Jewish  life  in  Amsterdam,  I  asked  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
Jews  of  Holland  the  question,  whether  in  his  opinion  the  Jews  of  his 
country  were  not  ripe  for  some  reform.  He  answered  in  the  nega- 
tive, because,  said  he,  "We  have  become  indifferent  to  any  form  of 
religion."  This  gentleman,  by  the  way,  is  not  an  infidel,  but  a  Jew, 
who  during  the  greater  part  of  his  long  life  has  zealously  labored  for 
the  well-being  of  his  brethren  in  faith.  I  understood  him  thoroughly. 
Rabbinical  orthodoxy  has  lost  its  grip  on  the  masses,  for  the  very 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  65 

same  reason  as  in  America;  it  fits  no  longer  in  the  educational  con- 
ceptions and  tendencies  of  the  age.  In  Europe,  perhaps,  some  out- 
ward respect  for  tradition  induces  a  more  or  less  public  adherence  to 
many  practices  which  inwardly  are  condemned,  and  therein  lies  the 
flagrant  inconsistency  of  European  life.  The  Sabbath  is  kept  at 
home  and  in  the  shop;  but  Sabbath  desecration  in  the  clubs  and 
public  gardens  is  flagrant  enough.  The  dietary  laws  are  kept  at 
home — and  that  not  always.  The  delicious  morsels  of  "  terepha  " 
are  eaten  in  the  public  restaurants.  One  of  my  English  hosts,  who 
was  most  frantic  in  his  condemnation  of  our  American  heresies,  was 
asked  by  me  whether  the  mutton  I  had  so  greatly  enjoyed  at  his  table 
was  "  Kosher."  The  surprised  look  on  his  good  honest  face  amused 
me  for  a  long  time.  He  had  not  thought  of  the  necessary  coinci- 
dence of  theory  and  practice.  I  asked  of  one  of  the  Rabbis  of  Ber- 
lin, who  was  pleased  to  satirize  our  American  peculiarities,  how  many 
of  the  Jews  of  Berlin  kept  their  stores  closed  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
for  answer  he  changed  the  subject.  The  masses  of  Jews  in  the 
European  centers  of  population  do  indeed  outwardly  observe  many 
traditional  practices,  but  if  rabbinical  denunciation  be  worth  any- 
thing, they  are  as  bad  as  the  aristocracy,  which  word  I  use  merely  to 
distinguish  a  minority  of  good  and  bad  Jews  from  a  majority  of  the 
same  elements.  The  reason  for  this  singular  and  inexcusable  incon- 
gruity of  theory  and  practice  is  very  near  at  hand.  The  Jewish 
communities  of  occidental  Europe  have  outgrown  the  institutions  and 
practices  of  ghetto  life.  The  public  school,  the  free  intermingling 
with  their  Christian  fellow-citizens,  the  natural  tendency  to  adapt  the 
people  to  their  changed  surroundings  and  new  conditions — all  these 
have  left  their  deep  impress  on  the  latest  generation  of  European 
Jews,  and  indifferentism,  rampant  as  it  is,  is  largely  the  outcome  of 
the  uncompromising  attitude  of  Talmudism,  that  insists  upon  punctil- 
ious observance  of  minutiae  that  fit  not  in  daily  experience,  and  cares 
nothing  whatever  for  a  respectful  inquiry  into  the  spirit  that  should 
inhibit  both  the  ethics  and  observances  of  religion.  The  result  of 
this  attitude  maybe  summed  up  briefly:  the  conservative  spirit  of 
political  government  in  Europe  has  lent  the  synagague  its  moral  aid, 
and  rabbinical  legalism  has  therefore  a  public  voice  that,  however 
publicly  it  may  be  respected,  is  privately  disregarded   and   spurned. 


66  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

The  best  evidence  of  this  fact  is  that  the  European  Jew,  as  soon  as 
he  comes  to  America,  is  the  very  first  to  cut  loose  from  the  restraints 
imposed  on  him  by  legalism,  and  helps  to  add  to  the  disorder,  the 
religious  anarchy  that  prevails  among  the  so-called  orthodox  congre- 
gations. Whilst  a  number  of  the  native  American  Rabbis,  bred  in 
liberal  schools,  are  indisputably  conservative,  others  born  abroad  and 
bred  in  orthodox  schools  are  screaming  radicals,  and  are  impatient 
under  the  little  restraint  yet  imposed  by  the  morale  of  their  sur- 
roundings. It  is  the  sheerest  nonsense  to  assume,  as  the  superficial 
observer  does  assume,  that  this  screaming  radicalism  is  merely  the 
result  of  commercialism,  or  of  an  uncanny  ambition  to  appear  liberal 
in  the  eyes  of  Christians.  Such  foolish  motives  are  almost  unworthy 
of  notice,  when  instead  of  the  frothy  newspaper  literature  of  the  day 
the  writing  of  a  chapter  of  Jewish  history  is  attempted.  The  fact 
is,  that  a  number  of  these  American  ministers  cut  loose  from  a 
restraint  that  imposes  nominal  obligations,  the  observance  of  practices 
that  have  become  meaningless;  and  from  interpretations  inspired  by 
rabbinism  that  are  flatly  discredited  by  the  secular  schools  in  which 
they  are  trained.  This  may  also  explain  the  reason  why  the  ortho- 
dox English  synagogue  adds  nothing  whatever  to  the  literature  of 
rabbinism,  and  is  powerless  to  oppose  the  growth  of  radical  tenden- 
cies among  its  scholars.  The  same  applies  to  France,  Germany, 
Italy,  and  even  Turkey. 

The  science  of  Judaism,  the  historical  treatment  of  the  Bible,  the 
analysis  of  its  contents,  the  application  of  scientific  principles  to  the 
study  of  Jewish  theology,  all  these  are  growing  tendencies  in  the 
lives  and  labors  of  European  Jewish  scholars,  and  in  consequence  the 
rupture  between  faith  and  practice  becomes  more  pronounced  all  the 
while.  Withal,  the  rabbis  are  protesting,  prophesying  the  doom  of 
religion,  its  approaching  death  and  destruction,  whereas  the  true 
remedy  for  the  apparent  hopeless  state  of  Talmudical  Judaism  lies  in 
adapting  the  demands  of  religious  practice  to  the  education  of  the 
period,  and  in  the  reconciliation  of  Jewish  conceptions  of  life  with 
the  conceptions  of  modern  civil  conduct.  Indifferentism  certainly 
means  a  culpable  disregard  of  practices  insisted  on  by  the' synagogue 
as  the  fit  expressions  of  religious  convictions;  but  if  popular  judgment 
has  decided  such  practices  to   be  inconsistent  with  modern  life,  is  it 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  67 

unworthy  of  the  leaders  of  religious  thought  to  interrogate  the 
demands  of  the  age  and  seek  for  the  means  by  which  the  Jew  can  be 
induced  to  retain  his  spiritual,  literary  and  historical  patrimony  ? 
That,  after  all,  must  be  the  Aufgabe,  the  task  of  the  future.  To  us, 
in  America,  it  seems  of  little  importance  to  denounce  the  decay  of 
legalism  and  ritualism;  but  it  seems  of  the  utmost  importance  to 
revive  and  conserve  the  spirit  of  Judaism,  dominant  in  its  religion,  its 
literature,  and  its  history.  That  we  are  striving  to  do  such  holy  work 
according  to  our  still  unripe  abilities,  only  a  fool  or  a  fanatic  will  deny. 
The  attempt  to  discredit  us  or  to  classify  us  as  some  modern  sect  of 
Karaites,  as  was  once  upon  a  .time  done  by  the  late  Dr.  Alexander 
Kohut,  has  no  terror  for  us.  Whatever  has  been  done  here  to  mod- 
ernize Judaism  must  ultimately  be  done  in  Europe,  and  from  our 
point  of  view  we  see  plainly  that  this  persistent  preaching  of  the 
gospel  of  mediaevalism,  in  the  face  of  changed  and  constantly  chang- 
ing aspects  of  thought  and  practice  will  lead  as  man)'  Jews  in  to  the 
arms  of  infidelity  or  Christianity  as  voluntarily  went  to  these  stranger 
folds  in  the  fateful  days  of  the  post-Mendelssohnian  era.  As  against 
the  uncompromising  rigor  and  immutability  of  Rabbinism,  the  Amer- 
ican synagogue  has  the  fundamental  conception  that  religion  and  its 
practices  must  be  moulded  to  suit  the  needs  of  every  generation,  for 
the  main  object  is  to  keep  a  priestly  nation  competent  to  spread  a 
knowledge  of  the  divine  purposes  amongst  men.  It  is  then,  with  a 
view  of  setting  forth  in  detail  the  characteristic  aspects  of  Judaism  in 
America,  that  I  have  ventured  upon  a  rather  popular  treatment  of  its 
phenomena. 

The  term  "  Reform  Judaism  "  is  a  misnomer.  It  conveys  the 
sense  of  a  protestantism,  such  as  distinguishes  the  evangelical  sects 
from  Catholicism,  and  may  cause  a  suspicion  that  at  one  time  or 
other  there  had  been  a  sort  of  Reformation,  the  constructive  charac- 
ter of  which  presented  fundamental  differences  to  the  spirit  of  the 
older  faith.  This  being  very  far  from  the  truth,  the  unhappy  selec- 
tion of  the  word  is  palpable.  It  is  a  pity  that  the  term  has  become 
domesticated.  It  would  be  extremely  difficult  to  eradicate  it,  for  it 
has  become  incorporated  in  the  modern  vocabulary  of  religious  dis- 
cussion.    The  term   "occidental  Judaism"  might  be  preferred  were 


68  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

it  not  for  the  important  consideration  that  this  would  also  only  refer 
to  external  changes  and  not  to  the  growth  and  development  of  schools 
of  interpretation  without  which  so-called  reform  Judaism  would  have 
been  impossible.  Still  I  prefer  the  term  "  occidental."  It  embodies 
no  sense  of  protest,  it  indicates  no  radical  change  in  the  philosophy 
of  religion  itself;  and,  whilst  it  particularly  emphasizes  the  evolution 
of  the  form  of  worship,  it  may  also  include  the  evolution  of  thought, 
interpretation,  and  sentiment,  which  marks  the  Jew  of  occidental 
Europe  and  America  as  occupying  a  higher  standpoint  of  culture  than 
his  oriental  kinsman.  There  is,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  but  one  radical 
objection — an  important  one — to  the  term  "occidental."  The  word 
has  been  adopted  in  certain  philosophical  and  dogmatical  discussions 
as  applying  to  Christianity  in  contradistinction  to  all  the  religions  of 
the  orient,  and  the  term  applied  to  Judaism  might  therefore,  also, 
indicate  important  metaphysical  modifications  which — it  cannot  be 
sufficiently  emphasized — are  as  foreign  to  modern  as  to  ancient 
Judaism.  In  point  of  fact,  the  scientific  considerations  which  form 
an  important  part  in  the  formulation  of  modern  Jewish  views  of 
religion,  absolutely  exclude  any  element  of  the  intricate  system  of 
theology,  that,  on  its  way  from  India  to  Egypt,  passed  over  the 
Semitic  countries,  and,  as  then,  leaves  not  now  the  faintest  trace  of 
influence  upon  monotheism  pure  and  simple.  This  reservation,  I  will 
not  deny  the  fact,  might  cause  the  rejection  of  the  term  in  many 
quarters,  and  might  show  again  how  difficult  it  is  to  find  a  concrete 
expression  to  denote  a  system  that,  because  of  its  evolutionary  tenden- 
cies and  naturally  progressive  inclinations,  is  constantly  shifting  its 
standpoint,  and,  it  is  cheerfully  admitted,  does  not  wish  to  present  a 
postulate  that  would  cause  a  rupture  it  has  constantly  sought  to  avoid. 
The  historical  value  of  Reform  or  occidental  Judaism,  therefore,  lies 
purely  in  its  endeavors  to  vitalize  the  truths  embodied  in  older  forms, 
and  to  make  these  truths  fit  into  the  new  conditions  and  circumstances 
of  the  life  of  Israel.  This  definition  gives  it  standing,  and  adjusts  its 
history  to  be  simply  a  chapter  in  the  long  and  varied  kidturgeschichtc 
of  the  people  of  Israel,  and  as  such  it  will  certainly  be  considered, 
when  the  rancorous  discussions  and  the  mutual  anathematizing  ten- 
dencies of  the  past  half  century  will  be  forgotten.  The  origin  of  this 
modern  movement  is  sufficiently  well  known,  though  its  historians  on 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  60 

either  side  have  scarcely  been  impartial  enough  to  deserve  absolute 
credit.  Nor  would  it  be  possible  to  expect  impartiality  from  men  who 
were  participants  in  one  of  the  most  remarkable  struggles  that  can  be 
recorded  in  the  religious  and  literary  history  of  the  Jewish  people. 
The  earliest  beginnings  of  the  movement  fall  concurrently  with  the 
general  historical  phenomena  of  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  when  France  and  America  inaugurated  their  memorable 
struggles  for  the  recognition  of  political  freedom  and  equality,  and 
when  stimulated  by  philosophical  discussion,  the  mind  of  occidental 
Europe  began  its  campaign  of  alienation  from  the  trammels  of  eccle- 
siasticism.  The  Jews  of  Europe  were  involved  in  both  struggles. 
The  manhood  and  mentality  of  Israel  both  had  an  important  interro- 
gation to  address  to  the  future.  What  had  Israel  to  expect  from  the 
results  of  this  general  struggle  that  promised  to  lead  civilization  to  the 
threshold  of  a  new  era  ?  Like  the  rabid  race  haters  of  to-day,  now 
stimulated  by  the  perverted  doctrines  of  the  Herzl-Nordau  coterie  of 
Zionists,  the  world  had  always  considered  Israel  as  a  people,  that  no 
matter  how  and  where  its  various  elements  were  scattered  was  not 
affected  by  the  political  and  mental  revolutions  that  agitated  the 
nations.  Israel  was  Israel,  separate,  distinct,  and  peculiar;  a  tramp 
nation  from  the  Orient;  more  numerous  than  the  gypsies,  but  of  the 
same  wandering  propensities;  a  people  with  hopes  and  aspirations, 
language,  literature,  and  laws,  totally  different  from  those  of  their 
hosts;  a  people  content  to  live  in  the  quarters  set  aside  for  them;  a 
people  glad  to  leave  the  stranger  domicile  when  the  Messiah's  call 
would  summon  them  to  return  to  the  land  of  their  fathers.  Though 
the  Jews  always  professed  loyalty  to  the  government  under  whose 
protection  they  lived,  and  though  that  loyalty  cannot  be  questioned  by 
impartial  historical  testimony,  it  is  nevertheless  a  fact  that  their  culture 
stamped  them  as  a  separate  element  of  the  nations  without  any  of  the 
characteristics  that  indicate  the  promise  of  homogeneity,  and,  though 
that  deplorable  evidence  was  itself  a  result  of  the  inhuman  treatment 
to  which  they  had  been  subjected,  it  was  used  against  them  as  com- 
petent and  adequate  testimony  that  they  were,  and  desired  to  be, 
aliens.  We  find  Mendelssohn  already  energetically  protesting 
against  this  grievous  wrong.  Rabbinist  though  he  was,  the  intensity 
of  his  indignation  at  being  deemed  a  foreigner  or  an  alien  was  more 


jo  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

than  once  expressed  to  his  German  and  French  associates,  and  we 
know  something  of  the  reluctance  with  which  the  Prussian  King  con- 
sented to  the  admission  of  this  illustrious  Hebrew  into  the  academic 
circle  of  German  scholars.  Mendelssohn,  little  influence  as  I  believe 
him  to  have  had  upon  the  subsequent  direction  of  the  reform  move- 
ment, must,  in  this  instance,  be  considered  the  type  of  a  Hebrew, 
whose  aspirations  had  gone  very  far  beyond  the  ghetto  life. 

There  were  very  many  in  his  time  already  who  were  similarly 
affected.  The  walls  of  separation  pressed  on  their  hearts  and  minds; 
they  sought  the  wider  experience  of  the  world.  They  possessed 
abilities  and  ambitions  that  needed  a  wider  atmosphere  than  the  limited 
circle  of  their  co-religionists.  Many  of  them  had  enjoyed  or  secured 
for  themselves  the  advantages  of  a  modern  education,  though  such 
advantages  were  looked  on  askance  by  Talmudism;  many  had  come 
to  realize  that,  what  we  now  denominate  as  Talmudism  was  a  system  of 
education  which  trained  the  Jew  to  become  in  all  respects  peculiar, 
considered  from  the  standpoint  of  modern  thought.  The  discussions 
of  those  early  times  prove  the  verity  of  these  statements.  Rabbinism, 
Talmudism,  or  Legalism — either  name  adequately  represents  the  sys- 
tem of  education  referred  to — was  even  then  the  exponent  of  a  con- 
servatism that  admitted  no  possible  change  in  either  the  external  or 
internal  conditions  of  Israel.  Strangely  enough  the  representatives  of 
the  neo-orthodoxyof  the  present  will  altogether  overlook  the  important 
consequences  of  the  necessary  struggle  in  the  post  Mendelssohnian 
era  between  the  Talmudists  and  the  progressionists. 

Better  and  far  more  competent  pens  than  mine  have  gratefully 
recorded  the  historical  influence  of  the  Talmud  upon  the  lives  and 
fortunes  of  the  Jewish  people.  That  it  saved  them  from  destruction, 
from  the  overhanging  peril  of  being  overwhelmed  by  victorious 
nations,  that  it  kept  alive  the  spirit  of  Judaism,  that  it  perpetuated  the 
spirit  of  the  Word  and  Law  throughout  the  fatuities  and  calamities  of 
a  thousand  years,  who  would  deny  all  these  particulars  of  its  glorious 
mission?  I  say,  unhesitatingly,  that  the  Talmud  was  an  instrument  in 
man's  hands  for  the  preservation  of  Israel  to  its  future  and  its  mis- 
sion. 

But  the  trend  of  human  affairs  infallibly  shows  the  transient 
character  of  such  instruments.     This  proposition  will  always  find  its 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  7/ 

contestants  on  either  side,  and  so  we  have  found  them  and  will  find 
them  in  our  own  ranks  anent  this  question  of  the  permanency  of  the 
Talmudical  system  of  education.  That  question  is  focal  in  the  con- 
siderations that  agitated  the  Jews  of  Germany  in  the  closing  years  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  and,  in  very  truth,  it  is  the  basis  of  all  relig- 
ious discussions  that  affect  our  own  period.  The  world,  a  century 
ago,  became  affected  by  new  modes  of  thought,  which  gave  birth  to 
new  political  conditions,  new  systems  of  philosophy,  new  attitudes  of 
religion,  new  schools  of  interpretation.  The  world  at  that  time 
became  deeply  influenced  by  the  lassitude  that  followed  rebellion 
against  ecclesiastical  and  political  servitude.  Freedom  was  the  demand 
of  the  intelligent,  and,  as  may  be  expected  in  such  critical  times, 
moral  license  found  its  advocates  as  well.  The  Jew,  locked  up  in  his 
ghetto,  thundered  at  its  gates;  the  intellectual,  the  cultured,  the  aspir- 
ing, demanded  that  they  should  not  be  excluded  from  the  world's 
inheritance:  others,  whose  motives  were  ignoble,  sought  in  the  con- 
ditions of  the  new  era  the  convenient  opportunity  for  tearing  them- 
selves loose  from  trammels  that  had  become  wholly  oppressive.  This 
much  cannot  be  denied,  that  the  yoke  of  Jewish  ecclesiasticism  had 
become  burdensome  in  the  extreme.  It  imposed  a  mass  of  obliga- 
tions, many  of  which  had  degenerated  into  pure  formalities.  It 
assumed,  like  the  Catholic  Church,  from  which  it  had  copied  much  of 
its  authority,  to  regulate  all  the  external  conditions  of  life,  and  it 
insisted,  like  the  church,  upon  the  immutability  of  all  that  it  had 
ordained.  In  its  insistence  upon  the  permanence  of  the  obligations 
it  imposed,  the  immutability  of  its  forms  and  the  infallibility  of  its 
interpretations,  Jewish  ecclesiasticism  or  rabbinism  committed  the 
same  error  that  removed  the  half  of  Europe  from  the  pale  of  the 
Catholic  Church.  It  suffered  the  same  penalty;  it  alienated  thou- 
sands from  the  ancestral  faith,  when  timely  concessions  to  the  spirit 
of  the  age  might  have  preserved  them.  It  sought  to  smother  the 
growing  demand  for  mental  freedom;  it  sought  to  suppress  the  incip- 
ient ambition  of  the  Jew  to  remove  from  the  ghetto  and  take  his  right- 
ful place  as  a  recognized  citizen  of  the  world.  In  brief,  it  declared 
war  upon  the  future;  allying  itself  to  an  immediate  past,  it  proclaimed 
its  infallibility  in  tones  of  thunder,  and  thus  became  itself  responsible 
for  an  inquiry  into  its  claims,  which  resulted  in   the  now  firmly  estab- 


J2  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

lished  opinion  that  it  was  itself  but  a  temporary  instrument,  and  rep- 
resented a  chapter  of  Jewish  history  of  not  very  remote  date.* 

But  many  years  were  to  elapse  before  this  expression  of  the  most 
learned  Jew  of  the  nineteenth  century  definitely  fixed  the  standpoint 
of  the  progressionists.  Until  that  time  progressive  Judaism  was  a 
thing  to  be  contemned.  Its  votaries  set  up  the  claim  that  they  were 
entitled  to  a  share  in  the  world's  new  experience ;  that  instead  of  being 
passive  eyewitnesses  to  the  change  from  old  to  new  conditions,  they 
should  become  active  participants;  that  having  inwardly,  by  training 
and  education,  become  estranged  from  the  orientalism  that  was  always 
insisted  upon,  they  should  outwardly  deport  themselves  as  citizens  of 
the  Occident,  not  as  expectant  aliens,  who  waited  every  day  the  trum- 
pet call  of  departure;  that  many  rules  of  conduct,  many  observances 
of  life  enjoined  by  Talmudism,  had  become  meaningless  formalities; 
and  thus,  the  early  struggles  of  progression  against  Rabbinism  had 
their  birth  in  Germany.  We  know  the  result.  Rabbinism  became 
frantic  and  opened  the  flood  gates  of  fanaticism.  Mendelssohn, 
whose  German  translation  of  the  Scriptures  had  made  the  German 
language  accessible  to  his  contemporaries,  and  whose  interpreters 
(Biurists)  permitted  themselves  unheard  freedom, — Mendelssohn,  the 
rabbinist,  did  not  escape  the  doom  pronounced  by  fanaticism  over  all 
progression.  Retrogression  on  the  one  hand,  unreasonable  excess 
on  the  other  were  an  almost  natural  consequence.  The  breach  was 
widened  by  the  growing  demand  for  a  modern  education.  Jewish 
youths  began  to  treat  religion  with  callous  indifference,  and  in  those 
early  days  men  like  David  Friedlander  and  Lazarus  ben  David  per- 
mitted themselves  expressions  of  opinion  which  to-day  would  be 
deemed  the  acme  of  radicalism.  But,  after  all,  that  was  but  the  first 
period  in  the  struggle  between  progression  and  ecclesiasticism,  one 
which  demanded  change  of  external  conditions  only,  and  sought  to 
bring  external  Judaism  in  harmony  with  the  new  surroundings  in 
which    the    Jew  would    be  placed.     The  struggle  was    to  assume  a 

♦Geiger's  Urschrift,  Vorwort.  "  Das  Thalmudstudium  muss  von  liun  an,  werni  es  den  Ansprueh  auf 
Wissenschaftlichkeit  erheben  will,  sich  ganz  auders  mit  den  Quellen  befassen  als  bisher,  es  rauss  die 
arg  hinaugesetzten  Werke  zu  ehren  bringeu  uud  die  hoch  ueberschaetzte  babylonische  Geniara  auf 
die  Stufe  versetzeu,  die  ihr  gebuehrt  als  dem  jueugsten  uach  bestimmten  Voraussetzungen  umge- 
wandelter  Produkte,  als  eiues  ueuen  Werkes  das  mit  uurecht  den  Ansprueh  erhebt,  der  treue  Mund 
des  grauesteu  Alterthuins  zu  seiu." 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  73 

deeper  tone,  when  the  apologists  of  progression  turned  their  attention 
to  an  inquiry  into  the  historical  claims  of  Rabbinism,  and  when  the 
philosophy  of  Judaism  itself  became  the  subject  of  severe  interrogation. 
Time  came  when  the  mass  of  literature  upon  which  ecclesiasticism 
relied  for  enforcing  its  authority  was  sifted  by  the  hand  of  masters ; 
when  the  historical  position  of  progressive  thought,  as  a  factor  in  the 
upbuilding  of  Judaism,  was  sought  to  be  established;  then  came  the 
internal  change,  the  emphasis  of  the  right  of  interpretation,  and  with 
it  the  freedom  to  place  Jewish  doctrine  in  the  philosophical  systems 
of  the  times. 

Friedlander  and  ben  David,  Israel  Jacobson  and  Gotthold  Sal- 
omon are  advocates  of  external  changes  only;  but  with  the  advent 
of  Leopold  Zunz,  the  orthodox  Krochmal  and  Rappoport  and 
others,  no  less  illustrious  spirits,  of  whom  Abraham  Geiger  was  both 
the  heir  and  the  leader,  begins  that  eminent  period  in  the  modern 
Wissensckaft  des  Judenthums,  a  term  but  poorly  translated  as  "science 
of  Judaism,"  that,  ostensibly  analytical,  denounced  as  destructive, 
hated  by  the  orthodox  school  as  inimical  to  the  conservation  of 
Judaism,  is  in  effect  the  greatest  modern  instrument  it  has  pleased 
God  to  create  in  these  times  for  the  moulding  of  a  true  Jewish  spirit 
in  accord  with  the  spirit  and  necessities  of  the  age. 

Israel  Jacobson  was  the  first,  I  believe,  who  gave  public  expres- 
sion to  the  demand  for  external  change.  His  Reform  synagogue  in 
Seesen  (1810),  his  school  in  the  same  city,  were  practical  efforts 
to  bring  the  demands  for  a  modern  Jewish  worship  to  the  attention 
of  the  German  communities,  but  so  far  as  is  known  the  effort  was 
successful,  if  at  all,  but  for  a  time.  It  was  not  very  long  before 
that  Napoleon  had  convoked  the  famous  Sanhedrin  in  the  deliber- 
ations of  which  the  struggles  I  have  here  described  came  into  open 
daylight. 

Some  of  the  Sanhedrin's  replies  to  Napoleon's  questions  were 
flagrantly  anti-Talmudical.  Nothing  could  better  emphasize  the 
conflict,  which  for  a  long  time,  as  might  be  supposed,  was  confined 
to  German  territory;  whence  it  passed  over  to  America  in  the 
natural  progress  of  an  immigration,  which,  between  the  years  1840 
and  i860,  assumed  such  large  dimensions  that  the  true  development 
of   Jewish    congregational  life  in  the  United  States,   the  foundation 


■jj  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

of  its   present  most  representative  bodies,  can  only  be  said   to   exist 
from  those  years.* 

The  American  Jew  is  in  man)'  respects  different  from  his  brother 
abroad.  He  moves  in  a  world  that  is  accustomed  to  a  greater  degree 
of  freedom  of  action  and  expression.  The  restraint  of  foreign 
nations,  held  in  check  by  political  and  moral  censorship,  is  not  upon 
him.  America  is  the  country  in  which  every  individual  may  follow 
the  bent  of  his  moral  or  intellectual  inclinations  without  proscription, 
as  long  as  the  social  compact,  which  is  the  law,  is  not  violated.  Polit- 
ical discussion  involving  censure  and  criticism  of  authority  is  unbri- 
dled. Religious  conduct  is  free  from  ecclesiastical  or  State  super- 
vision. The  basis  of  American  life  is  personal  freedom,  of  thought, 
of  action,  so  long  as  the  public  standard  of  conduct,  that  of  necessity 
must  exist  in  self-governing  communities,  is  observed  and  adhered  to. 
Whilst  this  involves  the  surrender  of  a  certain  amount  of  personal 
liberty  in  the  interest  of  public  peace  and  morality,  the  surrender  is 
altogether  voluntary,  and  insures  on  the  other  hand,  the  full  enjoy- 
ment of  freedom  of  action,  without  dictation  from  any  source  what- 
ever. American  society,  then,  is  held  together  by  a  civil  compact, 
which,  if  complied  with,  leaves  unreserved  freedom.  The  result, 
from  the  standpoint  of  conservatism,  is  exceedingly  curious.  Every 
virtue  of  citizenship  finds  a  much  higher  expression  in  this  demo- 
cratic form  of  government,  whilst  political  corruption  in  its  most 
flagrant  aspect  forms  the  deplorable  opposite  of  this  fact.  But  cor- 
ruption itself  means  the  absence  of  an  authority  that  can  assert  itself, 
not  as  a  penitentiary  agent,  but  as  an  educator  of  morals.  The 
American,  therefore,  is  a  free  agent  in  the  strictest,  if  not  always  in 
the  truest,  sense  of  the  word.  The  absence  of  restraining  institu- 
tions embodied  in  ecclesiastical  and  political  authority,  both  substi- 
tuted by  a  mere  civil  compact,  have  habituated  him  to  a  life  in  which 

*  The  American  or  English  reader  to  whom  German  sources  are  inaccessible  may  find  a  full  and 
practical  account  of  the  beginnings  of  Reform  Judaism  in  Dr.  Emanuel  Schreiber's  Reform  J udaism  and 
Its  Pioneers,  Spokane.  1S92,  a  book  that  deserves  much  larger  circulation  than  I  fear  it  enjoys.  Schreiber, 
however,  must  be  read  with  some  caution.  Thoroughly  scientific  that  he  proves  himself  to  be  in  his 
treatment  of  the  literature  of  reform,  he  lacks  the  judicial  temperament  of  the  historian,  and  in  the 
formulation  of  opinions  he  is  affected  by  personal  bias.  His  book  is  greatly  marred  by  his  injudicious 
hatred  of  Graetz  and  by  an  account  of  his  petty  squabbles  with  the  American-Jewish  Publication 
Society. 


Chronicles    of    Emanu-El.  75 

there  is  no  restraint  whatever.  He  criticizes  the  Church  and  the 
State.  The  former  is  but  a  moral  agent,  a  factor  in  the  promotion  of 
the  social  compact;  the  latter  is  but  a  name  to  denominate  a  number 
of  self-governing  individuals.  Four  generations  of  Americans  have 
been  reared  in  this  liberal  definition  of  moral  and  political  responsi- 
bility, which,  despite  the  excrescences  and  degeneracies  of  political 
life,  brings  the  republic  steadily  and  practically  to  greater  aspects  of 
power.  It  is  impossible  for  such  definition  not  to  affect  the  authority 
of  religion.  Every  denomination  has  felt  its  modifying  force.  It 
changes  the  aspect  of  the  individual's  relationship  to  the  Church.  It 
leaves  him  free  to  join  or  abandon  it;  it  gives  him  liberty  to  accept  or 
reject  its  teachings,  without  commendation  for  acceptance  or  criticism 
for  his  rejection.  The  atheist  and  the  Christian  have  an  equal  right 
of  public  utterance.  No  tax  can  be  imposed  by  religion,  subordinate 
as  it  is  to  the  State ;  its  support  must  wholly  proceed  from  those 
whose  love  for  its  principles  is  undiminished,  and  who  still  believe  in 
the  necessity  of  its  perpetuation.  The  Church  has  no  longer  any 
restraining  force  that  can  be  sanctioned  by  political  authority.  Its 
strength  lies  wholly  in  the  adaptability  of  its  teachings  to  the  moral 
wants  of  its  votaries.  It  must  look  to  itself;  no  agency  beside  itself 
will  assist  it  in  securing  a  deeper,  stronger  foundation.  It  is  responsi- 
ble to  itself  and  for  itself;  and  its  hold  on  the  people  is  no  longer  a 
law  that  is  superior  to  the  civil  compact,  but  a  sympathy  that  springs 
from  the  excellencies  of  its  teachings  and  the  security  it  lends  to  the 
general  system  of  morality.  In  a  word,  the  spirit  of  American  insti- 
tutions has  completely  changed  the  old-fashioned  aspect  of  religious 
authority,  which,  to  whatever  extent  it  may  be  continued  in  external 
forms,  is  in  reality  abrogated,  and  replaced,  like  political  authority, 
by  a  moral  and  religious  compact  to  further  the  peace  of  the  common- 
wealth, to  persist  in  the  worship  of  God,  and  to  make  applicable  in 
modern  life  the  ethics  which  were  anciently  set  up  as  the  corner- 
•  stones  of  a  well  organized  society.  The  essence  of  this  American 
religion,  like  the  essence  of  American  politics,  is  freedom;  and  the 
growth  of  religion  in  the  United  States  is  the  best  evidence  that,  with 
freedom  as  its  basis,  it  can  obtain  a  stronger  hold  on  the  people 
than  if  its  authority,  human  or  divine,  is  enforced  by  penalties  that 
disgrace  the  idealism  of  divinity  and  degrade  religion  and  morality  to 


j6  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

the  level  of  mere  police  regulations.  It  is  only  necessary  to  add  that 
in  this  general  description  I  have  given  what  I  believe  to  be  the  con- 
stitution of  the  American  synagogue,  an  institution  necessarily 
affected  by  all  the  conditions  of  American  life. 

We,  of  the  present  generation,  perhaps  understand  these  truths  in 
a  greater  measure,  because  we  have  seen  their  effects  in  the  splendid 
organization  of  which  we  are  the  beneficiaries.     We  have  been  able, 
within  the  past  twenty  years,  to  watch  the  beneficent  results  of  that 
constructive   religious   genius,  rooted  in   freedom,  that   even   now  in 
many  quarters  is  decried  as  the  acme  of  destructiveness.     It  is  true 
we  have  seen  many  institutions  pulled  up  by  their  roots  and  lie  prone 
in   the  midst  of  wailing  mourners,  who  forgot  that  the  refashioning  of 
religious  life  demanded  action  akin  to  the  uprooting  of  trees  by  storms 
in  midsummer.     But  forty  years  ago  and  more  that  American  genius 
of  construction  was  wholly  misunderstood.       It  appeared  as  revolu- 
tionary, as  anarchistic,  as  a  loud-mouthed  protestant.     Yet  those  who 
denounced  it  were  themselves  living  in  the  midst  of  a  revolution  the 
nature  of  which  they  did  not  understand.     The  influx  of  immigration 
in  the  decades   already  mentioned  brought  to  American  shores  thou- 
sands of  Jews,  who,  whatever  may  have  been  their  religious  proclivi- 
ties  abroad,  seemed  to   be   immediately  affected   by  the   freedom  of 
their  new  home,  without   realizing  that   the    truest  freedom  involves 
obligations  to  protect  and  safeguard  it.     Down  in  South  Carolina,  at 
that  time,  a  settlement  of  native  American  Jews  had  already  begun  to 
feel  that  the  anarchy  of  Jewish  religious   life  demanded  treatment, 
and  the  short  lived  reforms  of  Isaac  Harby,  little  as  they  reached  the 
core  of  the  evil,  must  be  interpreted  as  the  first  meritorious  attempt 
to  bring  religion  in  consonance  with  the  spirit  of  American  progress. 
The  state  of  Judaism  in  America  at  that  time  can  only  be  fitly  denom- 
inated by  saying  that  it  was  a  state  of  religious  anarchy.      The   fact 
that  congregations  existed,  in  this  instance,  proves  nothing  whatever. 
The    organization    of   a   Jewish    congregation  in  a    new  community 
proves  as  much  the  social  tendency  of  the  Jew  as  the  necessity  for 
religious  worship.     The  democratic  organization  of  the  old  American 
Jewish  congregations,  fashioned  after  existing  social   organizations, 
did  not  seem  to  have  exercised  much  influence  upon  religious  condi- 
tions.    They  were,  doubtless,  copies  of  the  congregations  of  Europe. 


Chronicles    of    Emanu-El.  jy 

They  lacked  the  spirit  of  true  worship  and  the  guidance  of  learned 
leaders.  Admitting  that  they  were  organized  for  the  worship  of  God, 
they  seemed  powerless  in  effecting  that  closer  organization  of  Jewish 
sentiment  without  which  the  synagogue  is  shorn  of  its  title  as  the 
mother  of  Jewish  institutions.  They  were,  in  effect,  "  minyanim  " 
organized  to  satisfy  certain  external  conditions  imposed  by  tradition. 
Otherwise  there  was  nothing  or  next  to  nothing  in  the  way  of  religion. 
There  existed  social  and  benevolent  organizations  because  the  sense 
of  solidarity  is  always  strong  in  the  Jew.  But  the  individual  was 
intoxicated  by  his  new  found  freedom,  and  he  made  the  most  of  it. 
Personal  religion,  the  strongest  factor  in  Jewish  life,  was  left  behind 
with  all  the  restraints  of  legalism.  Our  fathers  or  grandfathers  on 
American  soil  acted  very  much  like  children  out  of  school,  who  are 
left  without  their  teacher,  and  we  may  imagine  what  that  means. 
Doubtless,  those  of  my  readers  who  are  disposed  to  look  upon  these 
lines  as  an  apology  for  the  necessity  of  reform  will  question  the 
integrity  of  these  statements.  I  will  say  in  reply  that  if  the  orthodoxy 
of  half  a  century  ago  had  been  a  life-infusing  agency,  Reform  Juda- 
ism would  have  been  an  impossibility.  I  will  say,  further,  that  the 
first  efforts  at  reform  came  from  men  like  Merzbacher,  who,  without 
either  possessing  great  genius  or  extraordinary  learning,  were  shocked 
at  the  anarchy  they  found  in  the  Jewish  communities.  Each  con- 
gregation was  law  unto  itself;  its  Readers  were  officials  with  whom 
the  vote  of  the  congregation  meant  more  than  the  ShuVhan  Arukh. 
Ritual  and  dietary  laws  were  virtually  abrogated;  a  life  with  religious 
restraints  suited  no  longer  these  active  wrestlers  with  fortune.  If 
there  was  any  religious  controversy  it  was  not  for  principle  but  for 
minhagim.  Men  separated,  not  according  to  their  convictions,  but 
according  to  their  nationality:  and  those  still  live  who  remember  the 
Polish,  the  Bavarian,  the  English,  the  Dutch,  the  French,  the  Bohe- 
mian, and  the  Russian  Shules  in  New  York  and  elsewhere,  not  to 
forget  the  Hungarian  and  the  various  subdivisions  of  the  Russian 
Shules.  This  tendency  to  organize  according  to  nationalities  was, 
then,  purely  social,  a  satisfaction  of  a  sense  of  solidarity,  which,  in 
this  instance,  was  both  national  and  religious.  This  separation  into 
nationalities  tended  to  show  the  utter  absence  of  homogeneity,  the 
fact  that  these  congregations  were  not  yet  moulded  by  the  American 


jS  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

spirit,  and  that  their  main  object  was  the  continuance  of  traditional 
worship  in  a  desultory  manner,  without  reference  to  its  importance  or 
to  the  influence  it  might  have  upon  the  future.  All  these  old  con- 
gregations were  orthodox  in  the  sense  only  that  they  had  copied  the 
external  forms  of  European  minhagim.  Internally  they  were  soul- 
less, exhibited  no  progress,  proved  themselves  incapable  of  doing 
anything  for  people  who  did  as  they  pleased.  Was  it  to  be  expected 
that  such  conditions  could  be  perpetuated  ?  The  demand  for  active 
religion  comes  sooner  or  later.  Active,  intelligent  religion  presup- 
poses the  homogeneity  of  the  people. 

The  confusion  of  religious  interests  before  the  fifties  was  caused 
mainly  by  the  lack  of  harmony  among  the  various  elements  and  by  a 
personal  indisposition  to  grant  a  certain  amount  of  liberty,  which,  by 
the  way,  the  immigrants  had  never  enjoyed  abroad.  Where  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  homogeneity  had  been  attained,  the  demand  for 
organized  religion  came  soon  enough.  Then  came  the  influence  of 
the  German  Jews — at  that  time  all  powerful  in  America.  That 
influence  demanded  a  modification  of  external  forms,  which  should  be 
more  in  harmony  with  a  modern  sense  of  the  need  of  worship.  The 
orthodox  service  had,  figuratively  speaking,  bled  to  death.  It  did  not 
satisfy  many  people,  who  might,  or  might  not,  be  attracted  once  more 
to  the  synagogue  by  an  introduction  of  rational  modifications.  But  it 
would  be  unjust  to  say  that  this  influence  demanded  a  mere  change  of 
forms  of  worship.  The  evil  lay  deeper  than  in  the  Tallith  or  in  the 
ungrammatical  reading  or  in  the  noisy  service.  The  evil  did  not  even 
lie  in  the  personal  disregard  of  dietary  laws.  The  evil  lay  in  the 
absence  of  religious  education,  in  the  improvidence  of  the  times  to 
secure  a  religious  future  to  the  children  of  the  pioneers.  Religious 
schools  were  needed  more  than  religious  modifications  of  worship, 
and  those  who  rank  as  the  pioneers  of  the  movement  in  this  country 
must  be  credited  with  having  emphasized  this  demand  above  all 
others.  The  first  reform  synagogues  of  America  were  instituted  by 
orthodox  German  Jews,  in  whom  the  sense  of  religion  was  stronger 
than  the  love  of  Minhag  Ashkenaz,  and  in  whom  the  desire  to  give 
their  children  a  thorough  religious  education  was  more  potent  than 
their  personal  obligations  to  an  effete  Talmudism,  the  regulations  of 
which  seemed  to  fall   on   bare   soil  when  they  touched  the  Western 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  79 

continent.  That  these  reform  congregations  met  with  a  storm  of  oppo- 
sition ;  that  they  were  denounced,  abused,  ridiculed,  decried  as 
destructive  institutions  and  as  propagators  of  infidelity  ( Shmad),  is  no 
more  than  was  to  be  expected. 

Man  is  naturally  a  conservative  creature;  he  dislikes  changes, 
and  only  enjoys  conditions  in  which  he  is  born.  The  radical  innova- 
tions which  had  hitherto  been  confined  to  Germany,  the  introduction 
of  abbreviated  prayers  and  an  organ,  must  have  produced  the  deepest 
indignation  among  those  whose  religion  consisted  of  an  abject  rever- 
ence for  the  past  and  its  skeletons.  But  the  changes  were  inevitable. 
Let  us  say  for  the  nonce  that  they  were  demanded  by  but  a  few;  if 
so,  the  future  proved 'those  few  to  have  been  men  in  whom  the  sense 
of  prediction  was  very  strong.  They  had,  undoubtedly,  prevision  of 
a  homogeneous  Jewish  body,  moulded  by  an  American  spirit,  desir- 
ous of  making  their  Judaism  a  potent  factor  in  the  moral  and  educa- 
tional life  of  the  American  nation,  and  they  felt  that  such  high  aims 
could  not  be  attained  by  the  perpetuation  of  religious  features,  forms, 
or  institutions,  out  of  which  the  very  life  had  gone.  There  was  alive 
up  to  recent  months  one  of  the  leaders,  a  man  whose  indomitable 
will,  pertinacity  of  purpose,  and  faith  in  his  mission  overcame  obsta- 
cles before  which  weaker  men  bent  like  blades  of  grass;  a  man 
whose  name  must  always  be  identified  with  the  beginnings  of  that 
American  synagogue,  that,  finding  its  freedom  in  the  scattered  ruins 
of  an  insincere  orthodoxy,  proceeded  to  slowly  and  painfully  recon- 
struct the  House  of  the  Lord  upon  American  soil,  using  as  its  build- 
ing material  the  ancient  faith,  but  adorning  it  with  an  intelligent 
fresco  that  would  make  Judaism  intelligible  to  all  the  world.  That 
man  lived  to  witness  the  consummation  of  his  ambition,  lived  to  prove 
that  the  dream  of  the  German  reformers  could  be  realized  in 
America,  and  that  Judaism  vivified  and  vitalized  by  American  free- 
dom would  be  once  again  a  great  and  glorious  thing.  That  sturdy 
champion,  that  old  fighter  for  a  noble  cause,  was  Isaac  M.  Wise, 
leader  of  a  glorious  galaxy  of  heroes  who  in  the  fifties  began,  in  the 
face  of  gigantic  difficulties,  the  foundations  of  what  is  commonly 
called  American  Judaism  or  Reform  Judaism,  but  which,  to  an  intel- 
ligent Jew,  free  from  bias,  presents  only  these  phenomena,  that  it 
adapted  itself  to  its  new  world  surroundings,  and  sought  to  stimulate 


So  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

the  people's  sense  of  worship  by  the  introduction  of  intelligent 
changes  of  form,  which  offended  orthodoxy,  but  did  not  offend 
Judaism ;  and  by  the  establishment  of  schools  in  which  an  intelligent 
presentation  of  the  truths  of  Judaism  could  be  made  to  children. 
These  were  the  modest  beginnings  of  Reform  Judaism  in  America — 
an  inspiration  from  Germany  fashioned  since  the  beginning  of  the 
century,  but  obtaining  its  fruition  in  the  United  States,  because  here 
was  liberty  to  plant,  to  sow,  and  to  harvest. 

The  beginnings  of  Reform  Judaism  in  America  were  attended  by 
difficulties,  of  which  but  an  incomplete  record  is  kept  in  the  chron- 
icles of  the  times.  The  same  freedom  that  encouraged  innovations 
without  much  inquiry  as  to  whether  they  were  grounded  in  tra- 
dition— that  same  freedom  encouraged  opposition  that  did  not  always 
deport  itself  with  a  sense  of  dignity  and  justice.  The  touch  of  radi- 
calism in  the  early  reformers  was  met  by  a  touch  of  fanaticism  in  their 
opponents.  That  is  most  natural,  and  we  need  defend  the  one  nor 
the  other.  On  the  one  hand  there  was  a  deep-seated  conviction  that 
the  unorganized  condition  of  Jewish  religious  interests,  the  crass 
ignorance  of  the  Jews  themselves,  and  their  consequent  indifference 
to  aught  but  their  material  prosperity  and  the  furtherance  of  their 
political  advantages,  would  lead  to  a  hopeless  weakening  of  the  ties 
of  religion  and  an  impending  alienation  of  large  numbers  from  their 
ancestral  religion.  On  the  other  hand  there  was  the  expressed  fear 
of  an  old-fashioned  prejudice  or  perhaps  superstition,  that  the  encour- 
agement of  innovations  in  public  worship  appeared  as  an  approval  of 
the  indisputable  anarchy  of  the  times;  that  protests,  warnings,  exhor- 
tations would  have  a  better  effect.  To  change  the  traditional  worship 
was  in  itself  a  dangerous  thing.  While  some  innovations  might  be 
justified  in  the  interest  of  decorum,  they  were  to  be  condemned  as 
entering  wedges;  in  fact,  there  being  no  authority  to  sanction  the 
limit  of  these  reforms,  there  was  no  telling  to  what  extent  radical 
tendencies,  a  love  of  innovation,  or  a  hatred  of  orthodoxy,  might 
carry  them.  So  began  a  square  battle  of  "do  something"  against 
"  do  nothing,"  in  which  the  conservative  party  sought  to  sanctify 
inactivity,  religious  indolence  and  laisser  alter  by  specious  arguments 
and  sophistries,  by  public  condemnation,  and  not  a  little  by  abusing 


z 

o 

o 


3 
o 

3 


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a 

3 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  81 

the  motives  of  the  opposite  party.  In  such  times  clean  discussions 
are  not  to  be  thought  of.  From  1850  the  campaign  assumed  dimen- 
sions which  no  leader  of  orthodox  thought  dared  despise,  and  as  the 
fight  waxed  hotter  a  remarkable  discovery  was  made.  The  battle  for 
external  changes  was  soon  shifted  to  the  field  of  scientific  inquiry,  into 
which  the  intellectual  capacities  of  most  of  the  orthodox  leaders  of 
American  Judaism  could  scarcely  follow  the  bold  champions  who 
brought  from  Germany  their  own  abilities  and  a  fund  of  knowledge 
gathered  from  the  beginnings  of  the  then  new  science  of  Judaism. 
Much  sooner  than  in  Germany  the  scientific  spirit  was  to  seek  the 
possibility  of  harmonizing  the  fundamental  truths  of  Judaism  with  the 
scientific  thought  of  the  period,  and  to  ascertain  whether  Judaism 
without  any  of  its  oriental  or  mediaeval  surroundings  would  have  no 
vitality.  This  rapid  shifting  of  its  position,  which  demanded  half  a 
century  of  effort  in  Germany,  can  only  be  attributed  to  that  American 
opportunity  that  permits  freedom  of  action,  puts  no  trammels  on 
thought  or  speech,  permits  mind  and  conscience  the  seeking  of  direc- 
tions best  adapted  to  them,  and  minimizes  the  fear  of  opposition. 

Whether  a  thing  be  right  is  of  more  importance  in  America  than 
whether  the  government  thinks  it  right.  And  men  like  David  Einhorn 
could  inaugurate  their  bold  inquiries  without  the  fear  of  being 
removed  from  office  by  the  changed  aspect  of  government.  It  was 
not  long  after  the  advent  of  that  eminent  scholar  and  sage  that  the 
aspects  of  the  new  movement  began  to  change.  The  steps  of  the 
pioneers  of  American  reform  were  naturally  attended  by  a  certain 
degree  of  timidity.  Public  approval  had  not  yet  been  wholly  won  for 
the  external  changes,  and  certain  eliminations  of  doctrinal  expression 
from  the  prayer  book  betrayed  a  tendency  not  only  to  modernize  forms 
but  to  inquire  into  the  tenability  of  the  traditional  interpretations  of 
Jewish  doctrine.  To  permit  men  and  women  to  worship  together, 
to  excuse  the  absence  of  the  Tallith,  to  justify  the  non-wearing  of 
•the  phylacteries,  to  abolish  the  second  days  of  the  stated  feasts,  or  to 
encourage  the  introduction  of  music — even  the  elimination  lrom  the 
prayer  book  of  all  elements  that  had  no  direct  bearing  on  worship, 
and  the  introduction  therein  of  new  English  formula? — all  these  inno- 
vations being  of  a  purely  external  character,  might  ultimately  be  com- 
promised, if  reform  could  make  good  its  claim  that  their  tendency  was 


82  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

to  improve  the  spirit  of  worship  and  to  awaken  the  people  to  a  sense 
of  their  duty.  But  eliminations  of  doctrinal  phraseology  betokened 
radical  inquiries  into  phases  of  thought,  and  indicated  a  campaign 
against  the  mediaeval  interpretations  of  doctrine.  That  was  danger- 
ous, and  the  magnitude  of  the  danger  inspired  with  considerable  tim- 
idity most  of  the  men  who  had  become  responsible  for  the  new  move- 
ment. Max  Lilienthal's  splendid  apologies  for  the  necessity  of 
external  changes,  published  in  the  early  files  of  the  American  Israelite 
(1856-57-58),  make  good  reading  even  to-day;  but  the  radical 
inquiries  into  doctrinal  changes,  or  rather  modifications  of  the  philo- 
sophical aspects  of  Judaism,  had  not  then  their  strongest  votaries. 
The  first  Cleveland  Conference  (1856)  betrayed  that  timidity  to  a 
marked  degree.  The  conference  was  a  conception  of  Isaac  M.  Wise, 
and  must  be  interpreted  as  absolutely  the  first  effort  to  give  the  new 
movement  a  constructive  character.  Dr.  Wise  even  then  dreamed  of 
a  magnificent  union  of  all  American  Israelites — a  dream  only  partly 
realized  in  these  latter  years,  because  union  means  restraint,  and  the 
American  Jew  is  still  too  much  wedded  to  his  freedom  of  action — and 
sought  to  effect  that  union  by  the  offer  of  compromises,  which  indi- 
cated a  degree  of  retrogression  in  ill  accord  with  his  well  known 
characteristics.  Dr.  Wise  believed  in  the  possibility  of  establishing 
a  spiritual  authority,  composed  of  men  of  all  points  of  view,  to 
whom  the  interests  of  Judaism  should  be  confided,  and  who  should 
be  made  answerable  for  its  progress.  The  offer  of  compromise  was 
alluring,  and  the  Cleveland  Conference  saw  the  orthodox  leaders  in 
council  with  the  reformers.  But  even  the  offer  to  accept  Talmudical 
legalism  as  the  norm  of  religious  conduct  did  not  satisfy  the  conserv- 
atives, who  had  already  entered  upon  that  diffident,  distrustful 
course  that  ultimately  led  to  nearly  all  their  congregations  compro- 
mising with  the  externals  of  reform,  without  ever  conceding  the 
integrity  and  justice  of  the  act.  The  Cleveland  Conference  led  to 
two  distinct  results,  which  have  to  be  closely  considered,  as  both 
have  considerably  affected  both  the  progress  and  gradually  modifying 
characteristics  of  American  Judaism.  The  first  result  was  a  schism 
between  orthodox  and  reform  Jews,  which  schism,  curiously  enough, 
was  gradually  bridged  over  by  means  of  a  compromise,  against  which 
neither  Einhorn  nor  Wise  ever  ceased  to  preach. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  Sj 

The  leaders  of  orthodoxy  found  it  impossible  to  affiliate  with  the 
reformers.  They  dreaded  the  future  more  than  the  present.  They 
dreaded  no  external  change  so  much  as  the  possibility  of  their  being 
led  into  radical  fields  of  thought.  So  they  returned  to  their  homes 
more  than  ever  ready  to  sharpen  their  weak  weapons  to  meet  the  pol- 
ished arguments  of  Lilienthal,  the  impetuous,  fiery,  enthusiastic, 
defense  of  Wise,  and  the  biting,  inexorable  logic  of  Einhorn.  They 
seemed  more  than  ever  convinced  that  doing  nothing  was  the  stimu- 
lant of  a  most  successful  campaign.  So  they  continued  wailing  and 
railing,  protesting  and  scolding;  and  orthodoxy  altogether  lost  its 
constructive  character,  if  on  American  soil  it  ever  had  any.  This 
was  not  the  foreign 'Orthodoxy  of  Russia,  shifted  to  America  with 
immigration,  but  an  American  orthodoxy  without  genius,  without  ten- 
acity, a  passive,  negative  quantity,  that,  to  save  something  of  itself, 
gradually  assumed  the  externals  of  reform,  and  transferred  its  leader- 
ship to  men  like  Jastrow,  Huebsch  and  Szold,  who,  with  honest  and 
honorable  intent,  I  believe,  thought  of  the  possibility  of  retaining 
every  element  of  traditional  Judaism,  of  the  resuscitation  of  legalism 
and  its  influence  on  life  and  conduct,  whilst  approving  not  only  of  the 
external  changes,  but  likewise  of  certain  modifications  of  doctrinal 
interpretation.  The  motives  of  this  distinguished  triumvirate,  which 
I  never  questioned,  were  undoubtedly  in  the  direction  of  a  possibility 
of  a  compromise;  but  the  years  proved  such  compromise  impossible, 
and  their  labors  have  only  resulted  in  making  the  chasm  between 
American  and  foreign  Judaism  more  pronounced.  Of  the  orthodoxy 
that  sought  for  suggestions  of  unity  at  the  Cleveland  Conference  vir- 
tually nothing  is  left.  Its  leaders,  all  honest  men  and  good,  are  dead. 
and  its  congregations,  influenced  by  American  thought  and  education, 
gradually  adapted  themselves  to  the  externals  of  reform,  thereby,  in  my 
opinion,  forfeiting  every  claim  to  be  ranked  with  the  votaries  of  Tal- 
mudical  Legalism,  the  influence  of  which  upon  Reform  Judaism  has 
been  reduced  to  a  most  insignificant  quantity.  If  anything  is  needed 
to  prove  the  vitality  of  reform  in  America,  it  is  this  fact,  that  within 
twenty  years  after  the  first  Cleveland  Conference  nearly  every  con- 
gregation represented  by  orthodox  leaders  had  ceased  its  connection 
with  orthodoxy,  and  this  gradual  surrender  was  but  the  natural  conse- 
quence of  a  campaign  that  was  not  conducted  on  either  side  with  the 


84  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

same  spirit  and  capacity.  But  the  second  result  accrued  from  the 
proceedings  of  the  first  Cleveland  Conference  is  of  more  historical 
consequence.  The  proffer  of  compromise  on  the  part  of  the  reform- 
ers gave  offense  in  the  quarter  to  which,  to  a  considerable  degree, 
they  looked  for  direction  and  inspiration.  A  number  of  reform  con- 
gregations in  the  East,  stimulated  by  the  energetic  attitude  of  David 
Einhorn,  sympathized  as  little  with  the  efforts  at  compromise  as  the 
conservatives  themselves.  Einhorn's  conception  of  reform  had  never 
contemplated  the  mere  satisfaction  of  a  love  of  innovations  or  a  revo- 
lution of  external  forms.  He  had  not  thought  of  the  possibility  even 
of  setting  up  a  Minhag,  to  distinguish  the  results  of  American  pro- 
gressiveness  from  the  concrete  rituals  of  the  synagogues  of  Europe. 
Form  and  Minhag  were  to  Einhorn  instruments  of  a  far  more  import- 
ant revolution.  He,  as  well  as  his  colleagues,  aimed  at  the  regenera- 
tion of  Judaism,  but  the  means  for  such  regeneration  must  be  justi- 
fied by  tradition ;  they  must  be  rooted  in  the  literary  history  of  Israel 
and  obtain  a  warrant  of  precedent  that  could  not  be  disputed.  His 
reform  meant  a  return  to  principles,  to  pure  living;  to  a  correct 
knowledge  of  the  aims  and  aspirations  of  Judaism;  to  an  apprecia- 
tion of  its  remarkable  history  and  its  influence  upon  the  culture  of  the 
world;  and  his  aim  was  to  seek  recognition  for  Judaism,  not  as  a 
mere  modernized  agency  for  the  worship  of  God,  but  as  an  immut- 
able factor  in  the  regeneration  of  the  world,  a  distinct,  well  defined 
divine  instrument  of  truth  that  should  inspire  men  to  become  prophets 
and  priests  of  the  Ever-Living.  Einhorn  was  the  German-American 
apostle  of  a  Judaism  too  lofty,  too  pure,  too  marvelously  beautiful  to 
be  confined  within  the  trammels  of  legalism,  and,  having  been  trained 
in  one  of  the  strongholds  of  Talmudism,  under  a  teacher  to  whom 
the  least  compromise,  the  least  innovation,  was  a  source  of  offense, 
he  was  best  qualified  to  speak  of  the  little  hold  this  legalism  had 
retained  on  the  life  of  modern  Jews. 

To  Einhorn,  one  of  the  founders  of  reform  in  Germany,  after  the 
period  of  relaxation  that  succeeded  the  overthrow  of  Napoleon  and 
the  subsequent  tidal  wave  of  conservatism,  it  appeared  upon  his  ad- 
vent to  these  shores  that  the  anarchistic  conditions  prevailing  here 
admitted  of  no  compromise.  He  saw  everywhere  that  horrible  con- 
trast of  theory  and  practice  in  religion,  for  which  a  sterile  rabbinism 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  85 

has  not  yet  done  sufficient  expiation.  Loud  denunciation  of  progress 
was  only  apostrophized  by  irreligious  life ;  and  it  did  not  occur  to  the 
conservatives  that  their  lives  must  prove  their  consistency,  nor  were 
the  reformers  over  much  inspired  with  the  fact  that  the  most  radical 
reform  is  that  which  proves  the  completest  loyalty  to  the  high  aims  of 
Judaism,  and  thus  insures  the  purest  examples  of  life  and  conduct.  I 
have  not  sufficient  data  at  hand,  just  now,  to  give  even  a  synoptic 
review  of  the  life  of  this  most  remarkable  man,  whose  views  have 
always  seemed  to  me  to  be  those  of  a  philosopher,  who  cares  little  for 
externals,  but  aims  at  making  truth  itself  manifest  in  the  improved 
and  more  intelligent  conditions  of  human  life.  Einhorn  was  not 
alone  ready  like  his  brave  colleagues  from  whose  methods  he  dis- 
sented, to  defend,  step  by  step,  the  utility  of  the  reforms  that  had 
been  instituted;  but  he  prepared  to  give  Reform  Judaism  that  distinct 
universal  cast  that  is  now  beginning  to  be  its  most  prominent  feature, 
whilst  clinging  with  all  the  fervor  of  his  noble  soul  and  his  tender 
heart  to  the  faith  itself,  that  gave  him  inspiration  for  the  mighty  task 
he  had  imposed  upon  himself.  He  knew  full  well  that  a  religious 
protest  against  indifferentism,  such  as  reform  represented,  would  lose 
its  place  in  history;  that  reform  would  be  but  an  evanescent  fact  in 
the  life  of  Israel,  if  it  were  not  endowed  with  the  capacity  of  a  torch 
light  to  illumine  dark  places,  and  to  lead  the  willing  student  into  the 
philosophy  of  its  justification.  Briefly,  without  the  least  intention  to 
detract  from  the  illustrious  merit  of  his  contemporaries  in  America, 
I  hold  the  opinion  that  Einhorn  gave  the  campaign  of  reform  that 
educational  character  that  soon  enabled  its  votaries  to  understand  that 
a  mere  change  of  externals  would  lead  to  nothing.  The  tide  of  rad- 
ical inquiry,  as  I  have  already  noticed,  had  invaded  the  Jewish 
schools  of  Germany;  and,  whilst  the  efforts  of  the  reformers  in  the 
mother  country,  during  the  two  decades  immediately  preceding  the 
American  beginnings  of  reform,  may  have  had  a  semi-political 
■  object,  it  is  indisputable  and  unanswerable — that  the  study  of  Juda- 
ism and  its  literature,  stimulated  to  no  inconsiderable  extent  by  the 
labors  of  the  German  universities,  had  become  a  far  different  thing 
from  the  mere  adaptation  of  Talmudism  to  daily  life  and  conduct. 
We  discover  in  those  decades  the  strong  tendencies  of  alienation  from 
antiquated    methods    of    study,  a   growing  desire    to    reclassify    the 


S6  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

evidences  of  Judaism,  to  give  them  scientific  standing,  and  thus  to 
invigorate  the  capacity  of  the  olden  faith  to  retain  its  hold  on  the 
world.  The  scientific  training  of  the  German-Jewish  scholars  had 
assumed  a  different  aspect.  University-bred,  the  old  Bahurim  began 
to  apply  their  newly  acquired  methods  to  the  study  of  the  Talmud. 
Analysis,  historical  investigation,  exegesis,  philology,  and  the  Semitic 
languages  began  to  grow  as  factors  in  the  study  of  the  evidences  of 
Judaism.  The  Talmud,  from  having  been  a  system,  became  once 
more  literature.  From  Zunz  down,  a  generation  of  students  merci- 
lessly, yet  reverently,  began  to  study  the  evolutionary  phases  of  Juda- 
ism and  its  history;  often  in  an  apologetic  way,  to  justify  certain 
phenomena  of  the  times,  but  always  with  the  aim  of  giving  life  and 
soul  to  the  tremendous  mass  of  evidence  that  betrayed  the  activity  of 
the  Jewish  mind  in  all  centuries. 

The  result  of  this  mental  activity,  this  application  of  scientific 
methods  to  the  history  and  literary  remains  of  Israel,  naturally  devel- 
oped a  fact  that  is  of  the  utmost  consequence  to  Reform  Judaism,  and 
really  constitutes  the  basis  of  its  integrity.  That  fact  is  that  the  life  of 
Israel  surrounded  with  historical  phenomena,  each  of  which  requires 
the  most  delicate  consideration,  presents  a  series  of  evolutionary 
stages  which  have  no  meaning  unless  they  be  studied  in  relation  to 
the  life  and  growth  of  every  century  of  which  they  form  a  part.  The 
strength  and  vitality  of  the  Jewish  race  can  only  be  estimated,  then, 
by  the  influence  of  the  Jewish  mind  upon  every  century,  each  phase 
of  culture,  each  stage  of  history.  Close  inquiry  would  prove,  then, 
that  the  claims  of  immutability  of  conduct  and  even  of  doctrine  are 
false;  that  the  secret  of  Jewish  mental  vigor  is  adaptiveness,  and  that 
to  sustain  its  integrity,  to  insure  its  longevity,  Judaism  never  shrunk 
from  adapting  its  external  forms  to  the  needs  of  the  times.  Talmud- 
ism  represents,  then,  but  one  of  the  many  stages  of  external  Judaism, 
and  reform  at  the  particular  period  in  which  it  appears  is  made 
inevitable  by  the  political  and  mental  revolutions  which  at  the  time 
involved  Israel  as  well  as  the  rest  of  mankind.  A  gradual  change  of 
externals  necessarily  involves  the  most  delicate,  the  most  anxious 
consideration.  The  tree  that  is  trimmed  with  sturdy  ax  may  be 
injured  by  incapable  hands.  If  the  object  of  lopping  off  its  dead 
branches  is   to   give   more   vitality  to  the   trunk,  then   such   delicate 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  8j 

labors  must  be  given  in  charge  of  those  who  understand  the  tree's 
life  and  capacity.  Reform  is  the  ax.  Its  object  must  be  to  invigor- 
ate the  old  tree,  to  give  it  more  vitality,  so  that  its  beauty  will  be 
more  apparent.  If  this  process  appears  destructive,  results  will  surely 
attest  its  constructive  genius.  The  object  of  reform  must  be  to  pre- 
serve the  purity,  the  vitality  of  Judaism,  and  with  such  object  in  view 
its  mission  is  not  only  defensible,  but  justified  by  the  precedents  of 
history. 

Under  such  a  construction  of  the  objects  of  reform,  and  with  a 
training  that  enabled  him  to  see  the  dangers  of  half  measures,  it  is 
intelligible  why  Einhorn  attached  no  importance  to  the  composite 
character  of  the  Cleveland  Conference,  and  refused  to  accept  its 
conclusions  as  intelligent  measures  of  true  progress.  He  had  no  faith 
in  compromise.  He  could  not  understand  the  policy  of  seeking  a 
reconciliation  with  Talmudism,  the  history  of  which  was  precious  to 
him  as  the  reflex  of  the  life  of  centuries,  while  as  a  system  it  had 
become  wholly  insupportable  to  occidental  Europe  and  America.  In 
consequence,  with  that  fearlessness  of  utterance  that  always  charac- 
terized him,  he  commenced  a  campaign  of  protest,  which,  in  part, 
retarded  the  unity  of  reform  in  America,  whilst  on  the  other  hand  it 
gave  the  cause  more  rigid  and  definite  outlines.  The  chasm  thus 
created  between  what  may  be  called  the  western  and  eastern  schools 
of  American  reform  could  only  be  spanned  when,  with  the  years,  the 
asperity  of  the  controversy  would  be  softened,  and  when,  as  is  now 
the  case,  the  tendencies  of  reform  would  assume  the  scientific  aspect 
that,  strictly  speaking,  alienates  it  from  mere  externals.  But  the 
Cleveland  Conference  has  nevertheless  done  incalculable  good.  It 
brought  together  men  who  desired  Judaism  to  be  more  than  an  old 
tree  with  rotten  branches ;  it  gave  formal  and  tangible  expression  to 
many  needs  that  had  sprung  up  in  the  communities.  Its  results,  it 
can  readily  be  imagined,  were  not  immediately  available.  It  was  but 
"the  first  constructive  attempt — others  followed  in  succession — only  to 
prove  that  reform  aims  at  no  concrete  system  that  would,  or  might 
threaten  to,  assume  sectarian  tendencies.  In  so  far  as  each  succes- 
sive conference  sought  to  make  reform  a  concrete  system  by  the 
formulation  of  a  creed,  it  has  utterly  failed  and  deserved  to  fail. 
Authoritative  creeds  are  an  impossibility  in  Judaism,  and  they  are 


88  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

unpalatable  to  the  freedom  of  American  thought.  But  the  true  rea- 
son of  their  failure  lies  in  the  important  fact  that  a  definition  of  the 
philosophical  aspects  of  Judaism  never  was  the  most  important  feature 
of  its  mission,  and  that  traditional  freedom  of  interpretation  precludes 
the  possibility  of  an  agreement  on  the  question  of  essentiality. 

For  twenty  years  subsequent  to  the  events  here  imperfectly  related 
Reform  Judaism  suffered  from  internal  dissensions,  from  the  pertin- 
acity of  individual  opinions,  from  a  lack  of  unity  of  purpose  and 
interpretation.  This  is  but  the  natural  outcome  of  a  movement  that 
has  to  trace  its  steps  slowly,  and  feel  its  way  to  the  confidence  of  the 
community.  There  was  at  first  a  merry  war  over  mere  externals. 
Individual  opinion  here  led  the  way  and  individual  authority  scorned 
the  authority  of  any  one  else.  Wise's  attempt  to  create  a  unity  of 
externals  by  the  publication  of  Minhag  America  was  followed  by 
numerous  other  efforts  of  more  or  less  questionable  value.  Reform- 
ing externals  and  prayer-book  making  became  the  rage,  and  likewise, 
I  fear  me,  the  desire  to  outdo  each  other  in  radical  innovations 
became  fashionable  with  the  Rabbis.  We  may  here,  once  more, 
briefly  enumerate  three  distinct  tendencies,  the  outlines  of  which  have 
now  disappeared,  since  they  have  become  united  in  a  common  motive. 
Einhorn  always  represented  the  philosophical  tendency;  congrega- 
tional unity,  as  a  measure  for  the  spreading  of  reform  ideas,  never 
appeared  to  him  either  practicable  or  advisable.  The  conservative 
tendency  that  was  born  out  of  a  union  of  the  disintegrating  orthodox 
forces  with  the  scholarly  triumvirate,  headed  by  Jastrow,  was  opposed 
by  the  philosopher,  who  reserved  for  it  his  keenest  onslaughts,  and 
by  Wise,  who  always  aimed  at  practical  results  and  at  the  making  of 
reform  a  concrete  system.  Wise  is  the  great  advocate  of  congrega- 
tional unity  of  reform  in  America.  He  believed  that  the  first  con- 
structive attempt  must  lie  in  the  bringing  together  of  its  votaries  and 
seeking  a  basis  of  unity  of  belief,  action,  procedure,  and  conduct. 
This  was  his  doctrine  from  the  first,  and  he  championed  it  to  a 
successful  conclusion.  Strongly  as  he  always  defended  his  own 
views,  strongly  and  acrimoniously  as  these  views  have  always  been 
attacked,  Wise,  in  the  days  of  his  most  rampant  controversies,  seems 
never    to    have    lost  sight  of   the    democratic   fact   that  a   union    of 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  8g 

elements  would  ultimately  lead  to  a  unity  of  purpose.  Reform,  to 
become  an  educational  factor,  needed  the  united  strength  of  its  teach- 
ers. Every  effort  for  the  public  exhibition  of  the  capacity  of  reform 
to  make  Judaism  a  live  instrument  of  education  has  come  from  Isaac 
M.  Wise.  He  was  the  first  victim  of  orthodox  acrimony.  He  estab- 
lished the  first  organ  of  reform.  His  prayer  book,  whilst  the  second 
in  the  order  of  publication,  was  the  first  designed  as  a  general  substi- 
tute for  the  Siddur.  He  was  the  first  advocate  of  the  conferences. 
He  was  the  first  advocate  of  a  seminary  for  the  training  of  American 
Rabbis,  twenty  years  before  he  attained  his  object.  He  was  the  first 
champion  of  what  is  now  known  as  the  Union  of  American  Hebrew 
Congregations.  This,  rapid  review  of  the  measures  successfully  pro- 
posed by  the  great  Cincinnati  Rabbi  and  President  of  the  first  Ameri- 
can yeshibah  exhibits  the  life-long  tendency  of  his  mind.  It  is  that  of 
success  through  unity.  He  has  never  failed  to  perceive  the  strength 
of  that  tendency.  He  has  often  sacrificed  both  his  views  and  his  ambi- 
tion to  a  desire  of  uniting  the  factions  in  a  strong  common  mission  of 
reform.  If  he  is  the  proponent  of  the  Cleveland  compromise  meas- 
ure, which  roused  Einhorn's  antagonism,  his  action  can  only  be 
attributed  to  that  marked  tendency  of  congregational  unit}-,  which 
characterizes  his  entire  career.  The  future  proved  that  the  labors  of 
Wise  in  this  direction  were  essential  to  the  growth  of  the  cause. 
Einhorn's  efforts  would  have  foundered  if  they  had  not  been  sup- 
ported by  the  practical  views  of  his  western  colleague  and  whilom 
opponent.  Whatever  Reform  Judaism  now  is,  for  good  and  practical 
purposes,  it  owes  to  the  Einhorn  school  laboring  in  one  direction  and 
the  Wise  school  laboring  in  another,  but  the  two,  at  last,  I  think  since 
the  Pittsburg  Conference, — converging  and  becoming,  through  the 
happy  union  of  the  ideal  and  the  practical,  a  sanctified  instrument 
for  the  regeneration  of  Judaism  in  America. 

Who  were  the  men  who  brought  about  this  consummation?  The 
names  of  David  Einhorn,  Samuel  Ilirsch,  Samuel  Adler,  Emanuel 
Deutsch,  Isidore  Calisch,  Elkan  Cohn  and  others,  are  now  linked 
together  with  those  of  Isaac  M.  Wise,  Max  Lilienthal,  Felsenthal, 
Mielziner,  and  these  again  with  the  names  of  the  erstwhile  conserva- 
tives, the  whole  forming  a  brilliant  list  of  champions,  who,  following 
devious  ways,  at  last  found  each  other  to  labor  for  the  same  common 


go  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

cause:  the  restoration  of  Judaism  in  America.  That  was  their  object. 
Has  it  been  attained?  Results  naturally  must  speak  for  themselves. 
Whether  a  movement  barely  half  a  century  old  can  be  judged  by  the 
little  it  has  accomplished,  or  whether  the  vitality  of  an  historical  move- 
ment should  be  judged  by  the  life  and  labors  of  fifty  years,  is  a 
question  that  I  would  submit  to  the  unbiased  students  of  human  his- 
tory. The  constructive  tendencies  of  reform  have  produced  institu- 
tions, whose  educational  mission  promises  the  richest  results. 
American  Judaism  within  the  past  twenty-five  years  has  grown  to 
proportions  which  might  well  excite  the  attention  of  the  student  of 
history.  I  shall  not  advert  to  a  single  organization  that  is  an  expres- 
sion of  the  Jewish  religious  sentiment  applied  to  the  needs  of  suffering 
humanity,  though  it  might  be  stated,  and  with  justice,  that  these 
institutions  are  better  supported  and  better  endowed  than  they  are 
elsewhere.  I  shall  only,  and  very  briefly,  allude  in  these  concluding 
paragraphs  to  the  achievements  of  reform  in  an  educational  way, 
which  is  after  all  the  best  test  of  its  constructive  capacity.  The  first 
rabbinical  conferences  to  which  already  reference  has  been  made,  do 
not  seem  to  have  exercised  immediate  influence  upon  either  the 
educational  or  the  spiritual  conditions  of  the  reform  congregations. 
Their  principal  characteristic  indubitably  was  a  spirit  of  inquiry  into 
the  possibility  of  a  uniform  expression  of  religious  thought,  through 
the  medium  of  creeds  and  common  prayer  books.  I  have  already 
noted  some  of  the  obstacles,  which,  in  my  opinion,  prevented  the 
consummation  of  the  leaders'  ambition  in  the  matter  of  a  common 
prayer  book.  Individualism  has  been  for  a  generation  the  bane  of 
our  religion.  In  the  matter  of  creeds  it  needs  to  be  said,  that  until 
this  day  the  uniform  expression  of  religious  thought  has  proved  an 
impossibility,  and  I  believe  the  tendency  to  independence  of  utterance 
is  growing  all  the  while.  That  is  no  more  than  may  be  expected 
when  every  condition  of  our  times  encourages  freedom  of  expression 
and  when  the  progress  of  scientific  thought  widens  every  aspect  of 
interpretation.  American  Jews  have  fully  realized  the  futility  of  a 
uniform  creed,  or  rather  a  concrete  expression  of  the  philosophical 
or  metaphysical  considerations,  the  aspects  of  which  are  continually 
changing;  and  whilst  all  Jews,  in  the  main,  agree  upon  the  essential 
teachings  of  their  religion,  an  agreement  on  either  methods  or  systems 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  gr 

of  interpretation  has  never  appeared  desirable  or  mandatory.  The 
quest  after  creeds  has  been  frequent  enough;  and  the  main  question 
as  to  what  Judaism  really  is,  has  often  been  discussed  only  to  exhibit 
the  fact  that  an  authoritative  ecclesiastical  definition  of  its  principal 
teachings  is  an  impossibility,  and  yet  so  far  as  the  philosophical  ten- 
dencies of  the  creed  are  concerned,  though  no  concensus  of  opinion 
could  be  obtained,  they  seem  to  be  very  well  established  as  principal 
teachings  and  articles  of  faith.  The  teachings  of  the  existence  of 
God,  His  unity,  His  divine  communication  to  man,  the  divine  law  of 
compensation  as  expressed  in  rewards  and  punishment  and  in  conse- 
quence man's  accountability  to  God;  the  immortality  of  the  soul  and 
the  messianic,  prophetic  mission  of  the  people  of  Israel — these  are  now 
as  they  always  were  and  always  will  and  must  be  the  leading  truths 
of  the  faith,  rooted  in  Sinaitic  Revelation,  though  even  the  latter 
expression  may  be  capable  of  another  interpretation  than  the  anthro- 
pomorphic statements  embodied  in  the  sacred  tradition. 

I  believe  the  truths  here  briefly  enumerated  constitute  the  basis  of 
all  doctrinal  teachings  in  all  American-Jewish  schools,  while  it  may 
be  that  the  teachings  themselves  may  be  made  more  or  less  conserva- 
tive by  the  congregational  tendency  or  the  teacher's  personal  opinion. 
But  a  variety  of  opinion  never  has  done  any  harm;  the  character  and 
substance  of  the  teaching  remains  the  same  everywhere,  and  that  is 
an  important  step  in  the  direction  of  unity.  The  conferences,  I 
repeat,  began  to  realize  the  futility  of  agreeing  on  concrete  expres- 
sions of  metaphysical  truths,  and,  then,  directly  consequent  of  that 
futility,  came  efforts  of  a  more  practical  nature.  To  effect  congrega- 
tional unity  was  indubitably  the  first  step.  The  Union  of  American 
Hebrew  Congregations  was  the  first  successful  attempt  to  bring  the 
American  Congregations  together  upon  a  platform  of  the  advance- 
ment of  religious  interests  and  protection  of  the  heritage  of  Israel 
on  American  soil. 

Isaac  M.  Wise,  always  the  champion  of  measures  of  unification, 
is  directly  responsible  for  that  first  successful  attempt.  It  was  imme- 
diately followed  by  the  organization  of  the  Hebrew  Union  College, 
the  latter,  as  I  have  heretofore  observed,  the  realization  of  a  project 
conceived  by  Dr.  Wise  twenty  years  previously.  With  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Hebrew  Union  College  an  important  result  was  attained. 


g2  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

An  instrument  was  found  for  the  uniform  teaching  of  truth.  It  was 
an  expression  that  education  was  the  first  condition  of  further  pro- 
gress. To  make  Judaism  in  America  a  factor  of  no  questionable 
value,  the  training  of  competent  teachers  was  a  condition  precedent. 
It  is  known,  after  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  organization,  what 
this  college  has  accomplished.  Organized  at  a  time  when  anarchistic 
conditions  still  to  some  extent  prevailed,  organized  under  difficulties 
that  now  appear  monstrous,  laughed  at  by  conservatives  and  scorned 
by  progressive  leaders,  into  whose  motives  of  opposition  to  anything 
that  bore  the  stamp  of  Isaac  M.  Wise  we  must  not  yet  too  closely 
inquire ;  born  in  poverty,  founded  without  any  of  the  sustaining 
strength  that  constitutes  the  endowment  of  schools  and  universities, 
it  is  remarkable  that  the  Hebrew  Union  College  could  accomplish  so 
much.  We  can  afford  to  be  candid.  It  has  a  legitimate  place  among 
the  agencies  that  transmit  the  lore  of  Israel  from  one  generation  to 
another.  It  has  been  officered  by  noble  scholars  and  distinguished 
teachers,  yet  from  among  its  graduates  few,  if  any,  have  as  yet 
attained  to  the  distinction  of  the  older  generation  of  American  teach- 
ers. But  who  expected  such  rapid  results?  Only  enthusiasts  or 
people  incapable  of  measuring  the  discouraging  conditions  surround- 
ing this  great  institution.  It  has  done  enough,  much  more  than  could 
be  reasonably  expected  in  a  generation.  It  has  produced  a  number 
of  able  teachers  of  Judaism ;  men  educated  in  the  schools  of  their 
country;  fully  abreast  of  the  times  and  therefore  endowed  with  a 
much  keener  insight  into  the  necessities  of  public  education  than 
with  all  their  illustrious  qualities  can  be  attributed  to  their  predeces- 
sors. The  first  result,  in  brief,  of  the  organization  of  the  college, 
was  the  fact  that  a  number  of  practical  men,  in  full  and  fine  touch 
with  the  people,  gradually  pushed  from  the  ranks  of  office  a  number 
of  rabbis,  whose  conceptions  went  no  further  than  satisfying  the 
external  conditions  of  religion.  The  demands  for  public  instruction, 
for  a  practical  solution  of  man)'  hitherto  involved  questions  came  from 
these  scholarly  young  men,  reinforced  and  undoubtedly  to  a  consid- 
erable extent  inspired  by  the  splendid  examples  of  the  successors  of 
Einhorn  and  Hirsch,  amongst  whom  Kaufman  Kohler  and  Emil 
Hirsch  deserve  the  first  place.  And,  with  the  gradually  widening 
influence   of  the   college,  its   now  rapid   conversion  into  one  of  the 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  gj 

noble  feshibahs,  where  Jewish  learning  and  piety  have  their  highest 
exposition,  the  name  of  its  great  founder  will  always  be  identified  as 
that  of  the  man  whose  entire  career  was  a  quest  after  the  means  of 
firmly  securing  the  religious  future  of  his  brethren  in  America. 

The  constructive  efforts  of  American  Judaism  are  now  numerous 
enough.  Educational  institutions  have  arisen  everywhere.  The 
Sabbath  School  Union,  the  American  Jewish  Publication  Society,  Dr. 
Berkowitz's  splendid  conception  of  a  Jewish  Chautauqua,  the 
National  Council  of  Jewish  Women,  the  American  Jewish  Historical 
Society,  the  Congregational  Sisterhoods — all  these  are  but  the  evi- 
dences of  the  work  of  a  decennium,  evidences,  to  my  mind,  that  the 
constructive  genius  of,  Judaism  operates  in  our  midst,  and  through 
the  medium  of  organization  prepares  both  the  mind  and  conscience 
of  the  people  for  stronger  and  ever  stronger  affiliations  with  the  old, 
venerated  faith,  its  traditions,  science,  and  literature,  and  regenerates 
all  the  hopes  and  aspirations  in  which  is  the  germ  of  Israel's  inde- 
structable  vitality. 

A  fear  has  been  expressed,  that  the  course  of  American  Judaism 
in  these  latter  years  would  tend  to  disturb  the  solidarity  of  the  Jewish 
people,  in  so  far  as  that  word  applies  to  religious  and  humane  interests 
acknowledged  in  common  by  Jews  the  world  over.  Nothing  can  be 
farther  from  the  truth.  The  American  Jew,  whose  synagogue  is  a 
modern  institution,  and  to  whom  much  of  the  discipline  of  Rabbinism 
is  a  sealed  book,  is  nevertheless  taught  to  develop  within  himself  those 
sympathies  and  affections  that  are  needed  in  an  application  of  sound 
judgment  to  the  difficult  position  of  many  elements  of  Israel  through- 
out the  world.  The  American  Jew,  therefore,  is  in  no  sense  alienated 
from  the  religious  confraternity  of  Israel.  His  brethren  have  never 
called  upon  him  in  vain;  his  benefactions  to  the  people  abroad  are 
liberal  and  judicious;  and  his  representative  position  in  the  citizenship 
of  the  United  States  has  often  enabled  him  to  be  of  substantial  advan- 
tage to  his  brother  in  semi-oriental  countries,  in  Russia,  Roumania, 
Persia,  Morocco,  or  wherever  oppression  is  still  the  sole  relationship 
of  the  strong  towards  the  weak.  And  if  ever  the  educated  and  cul- 
tured Jews  of  Europe  will  call  their  American  co-religionists  in  coun- 
cil, a  proceeding  that,  I  think,  belongs  to  the  possibilities  of  the 
Twentieth  Century,  and   has  been  to  some  degree  anticipated   by  the 


Q4  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

presence  of  American  delegates  at  the  Zionist  Congresses,  the  posi- 
tion of  the  American  Jew  in  the  midst  of  his  co-religionists  will  no 
longer  be  disputed. 

As  I  close  this  chapter  I  feel  that  the  story  of  the  struggles  of 
Judaism  in  America  needs  more  elaborate  treatment.  Perhaps  the 
time  for  such  treatment  has  not  yet  come.  But  I  believe  enough  has 
been  said  to  inspire  even  the  most  rancorous  fanatic  with  the  sentiment, 
that  even  if  there  are  yet  many  incongruities  of  thought  and  conduct 
in  our  Reform  Judaism;  even  if,  as  some  unjustly  claim,  our  mental 
attitude  is  merely  that  of  a  negation  of  the  merits  of  orthodoxy  as  an 
efficacious  system  of  conduct  and  thought,  even  with  all  the  disad- 
vantages, real  or  imagined,  which  are  such  favorite  themes  of 
reproach  with  our  brethren  abroad,  the  story  of  our  struggles  proves 
our  intent.  And  what,  then,  is  that  intent?  Only  to  become  more 
and  more  imbued  with  the  noble,  purifying  motives  of  our  faith. 
Only  to  become  better  Jews.  Only  to  become  strong  in  our  service 
to  our  brethren.  Only  to  remain  united  to  the  holiest  traditions  of 
our  deathless  past.  Our  reform  is  not  a  sectarian  system,  only  a 
means  of  attaining  the  noble  ends  here  enumerated.  Whether  the 
means  will  prove  finally  efficacious,  I  cannot  say.  To  determine  that 
I  should  be  endowed  with  a  prevision  to  tell  of  the  state  of  Judaism 
a  century  hence. 


III. 

The   Sutter   Street   Synagogue. 


H  E  Jewish  community  of  San  Francisco  was  deeply 
affected  by  the  agitation  resulting  from  the  Cleveland 
Conference  and  the  subsequent  general  discussions  upon 
the  subject  of  so-called  Reform.  The  local  storm-cen- 
ter was  in  the  Congregation  Emanu-El.  The  other  Con- 
gregations held  aloof  from  the  contention,  and  for  many  years 
to  come  sternly  refused  to  countenance  any  innovation.  Nor  was 
Emanu-El  a  unit  on  the  subject  of  Reform.  Quite  a  large  number 
of  members  feared  that  the  tendency  to  modernize  the  services  would 
lead  to  fateful  consequences.  The  Congregation  had  to  contend 
with  a  conservatism  that  believes  the  greatest  virtue  of  religion  to  be 
"let  well  enough  alone."  Every  change,  no  matter  how  inessential, 
was  resented.  We  have  seen  that  already  in  1856  the  Board  sanc- 
tioned such  reforms  as  tended  to  improve  the  services  without  chang- 
ing the  latter's  essential  character.  The  orthodox  service  had  not 
only  become  somewhat  unintelligible,  but  it  lacked  dignity  and 
decorum,  and  the  young  people  became  gradually  alienated  from  the 
Synagogue.  The  raison  d'etre  of  Reform  was  warmly  discussed. 
A  correspondent  of  the  Gleaner9  addressed  its  editor  some  questions, 
which,  rather  odd  as  they  appear,  betray  an  anxiety  to  find  a  warrant 
for  the  somewhat  arbitrary  procedure  of  the  Reform  of  the  times: 
May  any  Congregation  voluntarily  abbreviate  the  Mahzorf  Did  the 
"prophets"  make  our  prayers?  Must  the  Hebrew  language  alone 
be  used  in  the  prayers?  Dr.  Eckman's  replies  to  his  somewhat  mis- 
informed correspondent  are  in  admirable  temper.  He  ranged  himself 
squarely  on  the  side  of  those  who  believed,  that,  in  the  reclassifica- 
tion of  our  religious  interests,  the  future  must  be  considered  of  far 
more  importance  than  the  past.  Dr.  Eckman's  Gleaner,  in  fact, 
helped  materially  to  teach  the  intolerant  that  Reform  had  its  scientific 

*GUaner,  September  4,  1857. 


g6  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

and  historical  basis.  Himself  a  life-long  conservative,  he  yet  realized 
how  little  the  services  appealed  to  the  young,  and  he  often  would 
emphasize  the  virtue  of  such  intelligent  ritual  reform  as  would  tend  to 
save  the  youth  of  Israel  to  the  heritage  of  their  fathers.  Eckman's 
passion  for  children  made  him  an  advocate  of  moderate  reform.  His 
life  work  was  among  them,  and  what  he  feared  most  was  their  aliena- 
tion from  the  ancestral  faith.  As  stated,  the  membership  of  Emanu- 
El  was  divided  on  the  question.  It  became  a  subject  of  painful  discus- 
sion. What  saved  the  Congregation  then,  as  ever  before  and  after- 
wards, from  disintegration,  was  that  intense  loyalty  to  the  institution  it- 
self, that  was  always  able  to  rise  above  personal  opinions.  Somehow, 
in  the  very  midst  of  these  discussions,  the  Congregation  continued  to 
flourish.  The  membership  increased,  and,  under  the  intelligent  lead- 
ership of  Seligman,  Emanu-El  became  a  powerful  institution.  In  '59 
the  Congregation  took  the  initiative  to  the  memorable  Mortara  Mass- 
meeting,  one  of  the  largest  ever  held  in  San  Francisco,  and  substan- 
tial aid  was  rendered  the  suffering  Jews  of  Morocco  by  a  Congrega- 
tional collection  that  netted  $3,668.15.  In  i860  the  Congregation, 
in  conjunction  with  the  Eureka,  was  able  to  purchase  Mission  Block 
No.  86  for  a  cemetery.  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn  found  a  Congregation, 
indeed  somewhat  divided  on  the  subject  of  ritual  changes,  but  in  all 
other  respects  prosperous,  well  organized,  practically  out  of  debt,  and, 
with  few  exceptions,  prepared  to  yield  respectful  consideration  to  the 
radical  changes  he  was  about  to  submit.  Dr.  Cohn,  at  the  time  of  his 
advent,  was  in  the  prime  of  life.  He  addressed  himself  to  his  diffi- 
cult task  with  a  devotion  that  is  still  gratefully  remembered.  His 
first  demand  was  for  the  reorganization  of  the  school.  In  Septem- 
ber, i860,  he  had  already  prepared  a  set  of  regulations  governing  the 
services  on  Sabbaths  and  holidays,  which  were  unanimously  adopted 
by  the  Board.  (Minutes,  Vol.  I,  p.  203.)  The  annual  meeting  of 
i860  (October  6th)  promptly  recognized  his  energetic  labors  by 
extending  his  term  of  office  from  three  to  five  years,  a  mark  of  confi- 
dence that  speaks  highly  for  the  appreciation  with  which  his  reforma- 
tory propositions  had  been  received. 

Dr.  Cohn's  remarkable  activity  stimulated  the  Congregation's 
ambition  to  a  very  high  degree.  He  had  brought  order  out  of  chaos. 
He  had,  rather  carefully,  felt  his  ground,  and  it  proved  ready  for  the 


THE  REV.  DR.   ELKAN   COHN. 

Rabbi   of   Temple   Emanu-El, 

I860- 1889 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  gy 

good  seed  he  had  brought  with  him.  The  October  meeting,  on  his 
recommendation,  decided  to  abolish  the  indecorous  system  of  offer- 
ings, the  recitation  of  Mi  Sheberakh,  and  offered  to  replace  the  finan- 
cial loss  accruing  therefrom  by  voluntary  subscriptions.  But  it  was 
at  the  same  time  understood  that  no  man  should  be  barred  from  recit- 
ing the  benedictions  before  and  after  the  Thorah  reading,  if  he  so 
desired.  This  resolution  shows  how  carefully  Dr.  Cohn  kept  in 
touch  with  the  conservative  element  of  the  Congregation.  He  wished 
to  offend  no  one's  predilections.  His  recommendation  to  remove 
only  the  compulsory  character  of  the  "calling  up,"  whilst  in  one 
direction  it  proves  his  opinion  that  customs  may  be  changed,  exhibits 
on  the  other  hand  a  generous  toleration  of  the  conservative  tenden- 
cies of  many  of  his  friends.  But  he  had  his  reward.  There  were 
few  indeed  who  did  not  highly  respect  him,  even  though  they  differed 
from  him.  He  was  probably  the  first  Rabbi  in  America  to  institute 
late  Friday  evening  services,  and  the  eight  o'clock  meetings  at  the 
Broadway  Synagogue  were  largely  attended.  Everybody  came  to 
hear  the  polished  German  orator,  who  expounded  the  Jewish  faith 
in  such  clear  language.  In  point  of  fact  the  Synagogue  became  too 
small.  Six  months  after  his  arrival  Dr.  Cohn  had  the  satisfaction  of 
hearing  President  Seligman  report  that  the  Synagogue  could  scarcely 
accommodate  its  visitors.  The  following  resolution  was  then  passed 
(Minutes,  Vol.  I,  p.  212): 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  five  be  appointed  by  the  President 
to  find  a  suitable  lot  in  the  central  portion  of  the  city  whereon  to 
build  a  new  Synagogue,  said  committee  to  report  at  the  next  regular 
meeting  of  the  Congregation." 

This  was  the  initiative  to  the  movement  that  resulted  in  the  erec- 
tion of  the  great,  beautiful  Synagogue,  lovingly  known  throughout 
San  Francisco  as  "The  Temple." 

Dr.  Cohn  quietly  continued  his  good  work.  On  March  17,  1861, 
he  received  the  following  letter: 

Rev.  Dr.  E.  Cohn: 

Your  Congregation  was  highly  gratified  to  perceive  from  the 
recent  able  sermon  delivered  by  you,  that  the  second  day  of  the 
Passover  need  not  be  regarded  as  a  holiday;  and  your  Congre- 
gation will,  at  its  next  meeting,  be  glad  to   receive  from  you  such 


gS  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

recommendations  as  will  present  the  healthy  views  advanced  by  you 
regarding  the  keeping  of  but  the  first  day;  and  we  beg  to  assure  you 
that  those  views  will  meet  with  unanimous  approbation. 

For  the  Board  of  Trustees, 

A.  Eger,  Secretary. 

The  annual  meeting  of  1861  (September  22)  listened  to  an 
encouraging  report  by  President  Seligman.  He  congratulated  the 
Congregation  upon  "the  very  favorable  condition  of  Emanu-El  in  all 
its  branches  and  the  very  satisfactory  position  of  its  financial  mat- 
ters." The  membership  had  increased  to  247,  a  very  remarkable 
showing  indeed.  The  school,  under  the  superintendence  of  Dr. 
Cohn,  had  been  thoroughly  reorganized  and  was  flourishing.  The 
Congregation,  but  a  few  years  before  struggling  with  a  debt  that 
threatened  to  overwhelm  it,  had  a  balance  in  the  treasury  of  more 
than  eight  thousand  dollars.  Of  Dr.  Cohn's  reformatory  tendencies 
the  President  speaks  as  follows: 

"I  cannot  close  without  urging  you  to  continue  your  support  of 
our  most  honored  and  esteemed  Rabbi,  Dr.  Cohn,  in  his  efforts  to 
inculcate  the  true  spirit  of  religion  as  taught  by  our  ancestors.  We 
have  all  listened  to  his  eloquent  and  powerful  appeals  to  us  during  the 
Day  of  Atonement  and  heard,  through  his  noble  sentiments,  the  duties 
we  should  perform  as  true  Israelites,  by  a  proper  observance  of  the 
Sabbath,  thereby  showing  a  worthy  example  to  our  children.  It  can 
be  accomplished — should  be  so,  for  the  tenets  of  Judaism  command 
it,  and  I  sincerely  trust  his  strong  appeals  towards  the  accomplishment 
of  this  object  will  find  a  response  in  your  hearts,  and  meet  with  that 
favor  which  its  importance  deserves." 

In  concluding  his  report,  Mr.  Seligman  emphasized  the  loyalty  of 
the  membership  in  the  midst  of  the  great  work  of  reorganization. 

"I  congratulate  you  all,"  said  he,  "upon  the  very  good  feeling 
and  harmony  now  so  happily  existing  among  us,  and  between  us; 
even  if  at  times  subjects  introduce  themselves  which  might  have  a 
tendency  to  sow  discord  in  our  debates  and  deliberations,  the  feeling 
of  fellowship  and  brotherly  love  has  always  prevailed.  We  are  not, 
and  cannot  be  divided,  and  may  now  and  forever  such  be  the  case,  is 
my  ardent  wish."  * 

♦Officers  for  1861-62:  H.  Seligman,  President ;  Isaac  F.  Block,  Vice  President;  A.  Tandler,  Treasurer 
Trustees,  Louis  Cohn,  Martin  Heller,  Samuel  Marx,  J.  Levy.  A.  L.  Wangenheim,  M.  Mayblum.. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  gg 

November  2,  1861,  meeting  at  the  St.  Nicholas  Hotel,  the  Con- 
gregation was  ready  to  hear  the  report  of  its  new  "Building  Lot" 
Committee.  The  report  stated  that  two  lots,  equally  eligible,  had 
been  offered;  one  at  the  corner  of  Geary  and  Powell  streets,  the 
property  of  Thomas  Smile)*,  for  $16,000;  the  other,  on  Sutter  street, 
between  Powell  and  Stockton,  belonging  to  B.  Davidson,  for  $15,000. 
The  figures,  whilst  not  large,  embarrassed  the  Congregation.  There 
were  not  sufficient  funds  at  hand  to  justify  a  purchase.  But  the 
membership  was,  as  usual,  equal  to  the  emergency.  The  timid  ones 
were  cried  down;  Samuel  Marx,  until  his  death  one  of  the  most  active 
and  devoted  of  the  members,  eloquently  and  persuasively  argued  the 
ways  and  means,  and  by  a  vote  of  forty-two  ayes  to  three  nays  the 
committee  was  instructed  to  "go  ahead."  Emanu-El  always  found 
the  means  to  inaugurate  its  great  enterprises,  and  truly,  acccording 
to  its  name,  God  was  with  its  people.  The  Board  of  Trustees  were 
authorized  to  secure  loans  and  subscriptions  to  pay  for  the  site,  and 
directed  to  secure  designs  for  the  new  synagogue,  which  were  to  be 
submitted  to  a  regular  meeting  of  the  Congregation. 

The  Board  commenced  its  new  labors  with  alacrity.  Pending  its 
administrative  labors  it  had  to  do  some  diligent  work  in  protecting  Dr. 
Elkan  Cohn  against  vicious  assaults  from  persons,  who,  then  as  now, 
found  comfort  in  misrepresenting  the  aims  and  objects  of  Reform 
Judaism.  It  had  grown  to  be  a  fashion  in  some  quarters  to  attribute 
sinister  motives  to  the  leaders  of  the  new  movement.  The  orthodox 
journals  accepted  and  circulated  the  most  extravagant  statements 
concerning  the  destructive  activity  of  the  Reformers.  Dr.  Cohn 
could  not  escape  the  common  fate.  Those  who  had  heard  him,  and 
were  themselves  fair-minded,  could  not  but  admire  the  careful 
methods  he  applied  in  winning  over  his  Congregation  to  such  innova- 
tions as  would  tend  to  inspire  them  with  a  higher  regard  for  the 
responsibilities  enjoined  by  religion.  Indeed,  about  that  time  our 
service  was  already  very  much  changed.  The  prayer  book  was  con- 
siderably abridged;  the  "  melodeon  "  still  stood  in  the  gallery;  the 
volunteer  choir,  organized  in  1858  by  A.  Godchaux,  sang  the  music 
of  Sulzer  and  Rubin  and  the  great  cantors  of  German}- ;  the  second 
days  of  the  holidays  were  abolished.  The  "  family  pews  "  would 
come  later.     All  these  changes  have  their  warrant  in  precedent,  and 


ioo  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

only  represented  a  violation  of  custom,  not  at  all  of  law.  In  the  mat- 
ter of  fundamentals,  Dr.  Cohn  was  stern  and  unyielding.  But  the 
report  of  his  extravagances  had  reached  the  East  and  Europe;  and 
personally  averse  to  newspaper  controversies,  he  left  the  Board  to 
deal  with  his  assailants.  Ignoring  mere  newspaper  talk,  they  justified 
their  Rabbi,  and  asserting  their  own  sense  of  distinction  between  the 
essentials  and  non-essentials  of  Judaism,  published  the  following 
memorable  resolution : 

"  Resolved,  That  Rev.  Dr.  Cohn  be  solicited  to  draft  an  address 
to  the  members  of  this  Congregation,  urging  them  in  the  most  effect- 
ual manner  to  a  better  and  more  proper  observance  of  the  holy  Sab- 
bath, such  address  to  be  distributed  by  the  Board  in  a  circular  letter 
to  all  the  members  of  the  Congregation." 

This  resolution  gave  the  Occident  a  different  idea  of  the  work  the 
Congregation  Emanu-El  had  undertaken. 

On  Sunday,  January  5,  1862,  the  "Building  Lot"  Committee 
reported  the  purchase  of  the  Davidson  site  on  Sutter  street,  between 
Stockton  and  Powell,  for  $15,000,  and  that  they  had  paid  $3,000  on 
account  of  the  purchase.  A  conservative  minority  sought  to  precipi- 
tate a  discussion  on  the  expediency  of  building  a  new  synagogue, 
but  was  promptly  suppressed.  The  Broadway  Synagogue,  glorious 
relic  of  pioneer  devotion,  had  indeed  become  utterly  too  small  to 
accommodate  the  membership,  and  the  improved  order  of  the  service 
justified  the  creation  of  new  environments  within  which  its  beauty 
and  impressiveness  could  be  still  further  enhanced.  The  meeting 
again  decided  to  proceed  with  the  work  in  hand.  Subscription  com- 
mittees were  appointed,  and  at  a  subsequent  meeting  the  Board  was 
authorized  to  mortgage  the  site,  should  not  the  entire  amount  of 
$12,000  due  thereon  be  forthcoming  by  voluntary  donations  or  sub- 
scriptions. At  a  subsequent  meeting  of  the  Board,  March  7,  1862, 
it  was  decided  to  proceed  in  a  more  practical  manner.  The  Congre- 
gation would  issue  scrip  for  all  subscriptions,  in  denominations  of 
not  less  than  $25,  bearing  interest  at  six  per  cent,  per  annum,  and 
redeemable  in  four  years.  In  less  than  one  month  $S,ooo  was  sub- 
scribed, and  it  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  take  a  mortgage  for 
$4,000  to  complete  the  purchase.  This  rather  slow  development  of 
plans  so  enthusiastically  conceived  requires  some  explanation.  The 
War  of  the  Rebellion,  with  all  its  fateful  consequences,  had  affected 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  101 

the  San  Francisco  community  in  a  considerable  degree.  Whilst  neces- 
sarily politics,  to  some  extent,  divided  the  membership,  the  unset- 
tled condition  of  affairs,  the  state  of  uncertainty,  and,  in  some 
instances  the  paralysis  of  industries,  produced  a  feeling  that  the 
time  for  involving  the  Congregation  in  a  heavy  indebtedness  was 
unpropitious;  and  although  the  lot  was  bought  and  paid  for,  no 
action  was  taken  in  the  matter  of  securing  designs.  The  house  stand- 
ing on  the  Sutter  street  lot  was  rented  out  to  Colonel  Ransome  for 
eighty  dollars  per  month  until  April  ist,  1863. 

The  annual  meeting  of  October  12,  1862,  was  the  last  over  which 
Henry  Seligman  was  to  preside.  That  able  and  active  officer  was 
about  to  permanently,  leave  San  Francisco,  and  parts  of  his  report 
represent  so  well  the  state  of  the  Congregation  at  that  time,  compared 
to  what  it  had  been  a  decade  before,  that  a  few  extracts  will  prove 
excellent  reading.     Speaking  of  the  war.  Mr.  Seligman  writes: 

"  Let  us  join  in  praise  of  thanks  and  gratitude  to  the  Ruler  of  our 
destinies  for  having  granted  us  health,  peace,  and  prosperity. 
Whilst  our  brethren  in  the  East  are  unfortunately  engaged  in  a  most 
terrible  and  destructive  civil  war,  which  has  cost  so  many  innocent 
lives,  which  has  destroyed  some  of  the  best  blood  of  our  beloved 
country,  has  broken  the  ties  and  affections  of  so  many  happy  families, 
made  numberless  widows  and  orphans,  and  converted  the  homes  of 
thousands,  once  in  wealth  and  comfort,  into  poverty  and  starvation, — 
I  say  we  here  on  the  Pacific  Coast  have  been  more  fortunate;  peace 
reigns  in  our  midst,  our  homes  and  firesides  are  blessed  with  plenty, 
with  all  the  comforts  of  life;  commerce  follows  its  usual  channels, 
and  is  more  prosperous  than  ever;  discord  nor  strife  exists  among  us; 
and  for  all  these  blessings  we  have  reason  to  rejoice,  and  can  only 
pray  that  it  may  please  our  Creator  and  Father  to  put  an  end  to  this 
unholy  war  and  restore  a  once  happy  country  to  its  former  splendor; 
that  we  may  forgive  and  forget  past  differences  and  bring  back  the 
proud  and  glorious  flag  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes  over  every  part  of 
American  soil,  honored  and  revered  by  all  Americans,  as  it  was  given 
to  us  by  the  immortal  Washington." 

Of  the  contemplated  Synagogue  the  President  wrote  very  conserva- 
tively. He  knew  the  magnitude  of  the  undertaking  and  was  anxious 
to  save  the  Congregation  from  an  irreparable  blunder.  His  kind  and 
judicious  words  are  worth  quoting: 


io2  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

"Since  our  last  annual  meeting,  through  the  liberality  of  our 
members,  we  have  been  enabled  to  purchase  that  beautiful  lot  on 
Sutter  street  as  a  proper  place  whereon  to  erect  a  Synagogue.  The 
whole  amount  of  $15,000  has  been  paid:  $8,500  by  voluntary  sub- 
scriptions and  the  other  part  by  the  proceeds  of  seat  money,  which 
speaks  well,  and  reflects  great  credit  on  Congregation  Emanu-El.  It 
depends  upon  you  to  say  when  a  proper  house  of  worship  shall  be 
built;  whilst  there  is  no  question  of  the  necessity  of  having  a  building 
centrally  located  and  capable  of  holding  all  the  members,  friends  and 
our  children,  who  to  a  great  extent  have  had  no  opportunity  to  be 
under  the  watchful  eyes  of  their  parents  during  the  last  holidays,  it 
should  receive  proper  attention  and  caution.  Not  to  be  hasty,  but 
calmly  and  deliberately  adopt  a  plan,  which  will  enable  you  to  carry 
out  your  much  desired  object;  and  not  commence  it  until  you  are 
perfectly  able  to  see  it  completed.  I  feel  satisfied,  from  the  past  lib- 
erality of  our  members,  which  now  have  increased  so  rapidly,  that 
they  are  able  to  carry  out  any  project  they  may  undertake.  It 
depends  upon  you,  therefore,  to  say  when  it  shall  be  done,  and 
though  likely  I  shall  not  be  able  to  be  present  at  its  dedication,  I 
shall,  however  distant  I  may  be  from  you,  take  the  liveliest  interest, 
and  shall  be  rejoiced  once  to  hear  that  you  have  finished  and  com- 
pleted a  house  of  worship  worthy  of  yourselves  and  your  honored 
institution." 

The  finances  were  in  a  satisfactory  condition.  Despite  an  expend- 
iture of  over  $12,000,  the  income  had  been  sufficient  to  meet  all 
demands,  and  the  Board's  desire  "to  be  liberal  towards  all  those  in 
our  employ." 

President  Seligman  takes  leave  of  the  Congregation  in  pleasant 
words : 

"It  is  well  known  to  many  of  you,"  he  says,  "that  I  intend  to 
leave  you  before  the  expiration  of  another  year;  therefore  it  is  with 
feelings  of  deepest  emotion  that  I  again  return  to  your  hands  the 
proud  office  you  have  so  generously  bestowed  on  me  for  seven  long 
years.  I  withdraw  with  regret  and  sorrow,  for  I  have  been  so  kindly 
treated  by  you  during  our  long  official  intercourse     *  and  you 

have  shown  your  kindness  to  me  in  so  many  ways,  that  I  cannot  find 
sufficient  words  to  express  my  gratitude  to  you  all.      *  When  I 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  /oj 

consider  that  from  sixty-five  good,  active  members,  who  composed 
our  number  when  I  first  took  the  chair,  we  have  now  increased  to 
260,  I  am  more  than  repaid  for  the  modest  share  of  duties  that  came 
to  me  during  that  time.  I  shall  always  look  back  with  pride  and 
pleasure  upon  the  happy  days  we  have  been  together  and  shall  ever 
pray  for  the  success  of  Congregation  Emanu-El  and  its  esteemed 
members.  In  closing  my  official  connection  with  you,  allow  me  to 
bespeak  for  my  successor  in  office  the  same  hearty  and  active  sup- 
port at  j-our  hands,  and  trust  that  you  will  follow  the  directions  of  our 
able  and  eloquent  Minister  who  takes  such  an  active  interest  in  your 
welfare.  Act  together  as  harmoniously  as  you  have  done  until  now, 
let  all  strife  or  anger  or  dissent  be  banished  from  your  midst  and 
maintain  the  good  name  and  fame  of  Congregation  Emanu-El,  for 
which  it  is  distinguished  throughout  the  land.  This  is  my  most 
ardent  prayer  and  wish;  and  though  I  shall  be  far  away  from  you, 
my  heart,  my  affection  and  sympathy  shall  ever  be  with  you,  and  I 
shall  be  happy  to  hear  of  the  everlasting  success  and  prosperity  of 
my  beloved  Congregation." 

This  touching  and  pathetic  address  must  have  made  a  profound 
impression  on  the  membership.  Henry  Seligman  had  steered  the 
ship  of  Emanu-El  through  difficult  channels,  full  of  shoals  and  rocks, 
and,  just  when  the  young  tree  began  to  develop  into  a  wide-boughed 
oak,  the  exigencies  of  his  personal  career  compelled  him  to  retire  and 
surrender  his  task  into  other  hands.  A  series  of  resolutions  were  pre- 
sented to  him,  of  which  one,  briefly  but  tersely,  tells  the  true  history 
of  Henry  Seligman's  connection  with  the  Congregation. 

"Resolved,  That  to  his  zealous  efforts  and  noble  exertions  the 
Congregation  is  chiefly  indebted,  not  only  for  the  continuation  of  its 
peace  and  harmony,  but  also  for  its  increased  numerical  strength  and 
pecuniarily  prosperous  condition." 

Let  this  resolution  be  circulated  among  the  people  of  a  younger 
generation  as  the  grateful  testimony  of  Emanu-El  to  the  work  of  one 
of  its  most  faithful  presidents.  Henry  Seligman  served  for  seven 
y^ears  out  of  the  first  decade  of  the  Congregation's  existence.  It  tell 
to  his  lot  to  nurse  the  y-oung  institution,  to  invigorate  it,  to  inspire 
its  membership,  and  secure  its  permanency  and  stability.  Emanu-El 
has  had  devoted  and  faithful  Presidents  since  Seligman's  time;  yet 


W4  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

the  memory  of  that  gentleman's  loyal  services  remains  unimpaired  in 
our  midst,  and  at  the  threshold  of  a  new  semi-centennial  Emanu-El 
sends  greeting  to  its  old  time  Parnass,  with  the  words,  "Well  done, 
thou  true  and  faithful  servant!" 

Note. — Not  long  afterwards  Mr.  Seligman  left  San  Francisco  to  take  up  his  residence 
in  Frankfurt-on-the-Main.  The  Congregation,  on  that  occasion,  tendered  him  a  public 
reception  at  the  St.  Nicholas  Hotel,  and,  through  President  Louis  Sachs,  presented  him 
with  an  elegant  chest  containing  twenty-three  pieces  of  silver,  to  wit:  one  solid  pitcher, 
one  tray  with  the  picture  of  the  Broadway  Synagogue  engraved  on  it,  twenty  goblets  and 
one  larger  one,  all  inscribed  with  the  initials  "H.  S."  Nearly  six  years  ago  when  I  visited 
Mr.  Seligman  this  chest  was  proudly  exhibited  to  me  as  one  of  the  most  cherished  family 
heirlooms.  Mr.  Seligman,  now  in  his  seventy-second  year,  is  hale  and  robust;  and  we 
all  pray,  may  Heaven  bless  the  afternoon  and  evening  of  his  useful  life! 

With  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Seligman  several  important  facts 
deserve  prominent  notice.  Firstly,  the  "old  guard"  of  workers,  the 
coterie  of  founders,  gradually  withdraws  from  leadership  to  make  room 
for  another  number  of  equally  devoted  leaders,  under  whose  guidance 
the  Congregation  would  continue  to  prosper,  despite  the  delicate  issues 
that  they  would  be  compelled  to  face.  The  names  of  Louis  Sachs, 
Martin  Heller,  William  Scholle,  Jules  Cerf,  Jacob  Greenebaum,  and 
others,  begin  to  appear,  to  give  prominence  to  the  activity  of  the  ensu- 
ing decades.  The  old  leaders  had  practically  founded  the  Congrega- 
tion, and  left  to  their  successors  a  membership,  that  in  point  of  num- 
bers and  standing  both,  must  be  considered  the  equal  of  any  in  the 
land ;  a  strong,  representative  membership,  ready  to  develop  and  main- 
tain the  inherent  spiritual  energies  of  the  Congregation.  It  cannot  be 
sufficiently  emphasized  that,  much  credit  as  is  due  to  the  competent 
leadership  of  Emanu-El,  the  successful  character  of  that  leadership 
could  only  be  confirmed  by  the  splendid  spirit  of  the  membership, 
amongst  whom  were  men  fully  cognizant  of  the  duties  and  responsi- 
bilities devolving  upon  them,  and  therefore  ready  at  all  times  to  sup- 
port active  measures  for  the  spiritual  and  material  progress  of  the 
great  institution  they  had  founded.  When  Seligman  withdrew,  the 
unanimous  choice  of  the  Congregation  fell  on  Louis  Sachs,  who 
theretofore  had  served  as  Vice-President,  and  Martin  Heller  in  turn 
became  the  second  officer  of  Emanu-El.  The  subsequent  history  of 
the  Congregation  proves  that  the  leadership  had  been  entrusted  to 
efficient  men. 


*•  T\ 


LOUIS  SACHS, 

President   of   Temple   Emanu-El, 

1862-1866. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  105 

And  yet,  this  meeting  of  1862,  which  bears  all  the  characteristics 
of  a  love  feast,  witnessed  the  first  evidences  of  a  contention,  that  two 
years  afterwards  would  shake  the  Congregation  to  its  deepest  founda- 
tions. The  meeting  was  attended  by  179  out  of  267  members,  and  it 
might  be  fair  to  assume  that  this  large  attendance  was  a  distinct  com- 
pliment to  the  retiring  President,  were  it  not  that  another  motive 
becomes  plainly  apparent.  It  is  difficult,  even  after  the  lapse  of 
nearly  forty  years,  to  discuss  with  any  degree  of  patience  the  ulti- 
mate "secession"  of  a  number  of  members,  whose  withdrawal  was 
publicly  attributed  to  their  conservative  tendencies,  to  a  desire  of 
maintaining  another  Congregation  upon  traditional  lines,  but  whose 
true  motives  may  appear  from  the  simple  fact  that  there  were  two 
candidates  for  the  office  of  Sexton,  and  that  the  tried  and  efficient 
incumbent  was  re-elected  by  a  preponderant  majority.  Since  most 
of  the  men  who  were  engaged  in  that  contention  have  either  gone 
home  or  ultimately  returned  to  the  Temple;  and  since  there  are  but  a 
very  few  left  now  who  are  directly  responsible  for  the  issues  that 
resulted  in  the  organization  of  the  Ohabe  Shalome  Congregation  two 
years  afterwards,  it  is  probably  best  not  to  inquire  too  closely  into 
the  details  of  that  unfortunate  chapter  of  Emanu-ETs  history.  The 
past  is  forgiven  and  forgotten.  Emanu-El,  for  a  time,  seriously  felt 
the  loss  of  a  numerous  element  of  its  membership;  but  out  of  that 
trial,  imposed  upon  it  by  men  who  would  not  bow  to  a  majority,  it 
emanated  stronger,  and  more  firmly  established;  its  peace  so  great 
that  thereafter  no  one  has  been  able  to  disturb  it.  Even  the  loss  of 
sixty  members  could  not  arrest  its  progress. 

President  Louis  Sachs  found  the  work  mapped  out  for  him. 
Supported  by  Martin  Heller  as  Vice-President,  and  by  Dr.  Cohn, 
whose  life-long  friend  he  became,  these  three  set  about  to  complete 
the  difficult  undertaking  of  completing  the  reorganization  of  the 
Minhag,  and  of  building  a  Synagogue  on  the  Sutter  street  site. 
An  official  committee  had  been  appointed  to  devise  ways  and  means. 
This  committee,  after  long  and  anxious  deliberation,  decided  to 
propose  a  plan,  whereby  a  large  sum  of  money  could  be  realized  by 
the  sale  of  pews  and  seats  in  the  contemplated  Synagogue.  This 
plan  involved  a  complete  revision  of  certain  sections  of  the  Con- 
stitution and    By-Laws  appertaining  to  the  duties  of  membership  and 


io6  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

the  regulation  of  the  taxes  to  maintain  the  Congregation,  and  it  was 
resolved  that,  if  at  the  next  ensuing  semi-annual  meeting  this  revision 
would  be  ratified  by  the  membership,  the  Board  would  be  empowered 
"  to  proceed  forthwith  with  the  erection  of  the  Synagogue,  under  the 
powers  granted  them  in  said  revision  and  upon  such  plans  as  may  be 
adopted  by  the  Congregation'"  (Minutes,  Vol.  I,  p.  291). 

On  Monday,  February  1,  1864,  the  Board  took  decisive  action  in 
the  matter  of  the  Minhag,  formally  abrogating  the  old  services  by  the 
following  resolution,  introduced  by  Mr.  Louis  Cohn: 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Board  of  Trustees,  through  their  President, 
hereby  authorize  the  obtaining  and  introduction  of  the  Merzbacher 
prayer-book  for  the  use  and  purposes  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El, 
and  the  same  be  held  by  them  as  the  authenticated  form  of  service 
until  otherwise  ordered  by  the  Congregation." 

In  March,  1864,  the  Board  appointed  the  President,  with  Messrs. 
Heller,  Jacob  Greenebaum,  I.  F.  Block,  and  M.  Meyerfeld,  a  com- 
mittee "to  solicit  voluntary  loans  and  subscriptions  whereby  the 
Building  Committee  may  be  enabled  to  proceed  at  an  early  date  with 
the  erection  of  a  new  Synagogue." 

June  25,  1864,  the  Building  Committee  reported  to  the  Board, 
submitting  plans  and  specifications  for  a  new  Synagogue.  The  whole 
cost  would  be  $134,000,  and  the  committee  recommended  immediate 
action,  for  the  Congregation  should  meet  in  its  new  house  of  worship 
on  Rosh  Ha'Shanah,  1865.  The  report  was  unanimously  adopted, 
and  President  Sachs  instructed  to  sign  all  building  contracts.  At  the 
same  meeting  the  Rev.  Mr.  Weisler  was  appointed  Cantor,  to  serve 
until  the  annual  meeting. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  Sutter  Street  Synagogue  was  laid  with 
solemn  ceremonies  on  Tuesday,  October  25,  1864  (5625).  The 
ceremonies  were  exceedingly  brief  and  simple.  The  exercises  were 
opened  by  the  chairman  of  the  Building  Committee,  H.  Regensbur- 
ger,  who  introduced  President  Sachs.  The  President,  in  a  brief 
address,  recounted  the  early  struggles  of  the  Congregation,  and  put 
stress  upon  the  important  fact  that  the  large  sacrifices  demanded  for 
the  erection  of  the  new  house  of  worship  had  been  willingly  and 
cheerfully  made,  and  that,  outside  of  the  membership,  no  aid  had 
been  solicited.     Dr.  Cohn  delivered  an  eloquent  oration,  after  which 


Chronicles    of    Emanu-El.  roj 

the  President  solemnly  laid  the  corner-stone.  The  architect,  Mr. 
William  Patton,  also  delivered  an  address,  some  extracts  of  which 
are  well  worthy  of  reproduction  : 

"  If  there  is  anything  especially  admirable  in  this  wonderful  age," 
said  Mr.  Patton,  "  and  in  this  wonderful  land,  that  is  great  in  its  good 
effects  upon  the  amenities  of  humanity,  it  is  that  cosmopolitan  freedom 
of  thought  and  toleration  of  opinion  that  treats  all  civilized  men  and 
women  as  equal.  The  past  social  history  of  Europe  and  Asia,  almost 
up  to  the  present  day,  is  mostly  a  recount  of  schisms  and  enmities, 
vindictiveness  and  persecutions  for  religion's  sake.  In  the  language 
of  the  immortal  Declaration  of  Independence,  'all  men  are  born  free 
and  equal.'  Here,  at  least,  the  Gentile  does  not  revile  the  Jew,  nor 
the  Jew  the  Gentile  *  *  *  no  sectarian  prejudice  interferes  with 
the  rapid  progress  of  this  people. 

"  We  are  met  here  to-day  to  consecrate  to  the  God  of  Israel,  to 
the  Creator  of  the  Universe  and  all  within  it,  a  church  that  is  about  to 
be  built  for  the  reception  of  the  Ark  of  His  Covenant,  according  to 
the  history  of  the  Hebrews,  which,  with  the  holy  records,  full  of  awe- 
inspiring  associations,  will  be  placed  therein,  and  will  form  a  house  of 
worship  for  the  Hebrew  Congregation  Emanu-El,  of  which  many  of 
its  members  are  here  present,  and  the  first  stone  of  which  is  laid 
to-day.  That  stone  is  a  symbol  that  the  good  never  dies!  And  it  is  a 
noteworthy  matter,  and  of  great  significance  and  deep  congratulation, 
not  from  the  circumstance  alone  which  it  celebrates  but  that  no  one, 
be  he  Jew  or  Gentile,  is  prevented  in  this  fair  and  free  land  from 
worshiping  his  God  when  and  how  he  chooses,  or  in  what  manner 
he  likes.  Here  he  is  untrammeled  alike  by  Popish  tyranny  of  intol- 
erance or  by  Puritanical  spite,  and  conscience  is  free.     *     *     *  ' 

Mr.  Patton  gave  suggestive  treatment  to  the  ideas  of  religious 
architecture,  and  concluded  as  follows: 

"  The  foundation  of  a  house  of  worship  is  always  a  matter  of 
importance,  and  in  whatever  language  of  ideas  its  construction  and 
artistic  appurtenances  may  be  clothed,  it  is  that  step  in  the  history  of 
mankind  that  in  the  result  marks  the  intellect  of  the  country  and  the 
progress  of  its  time,  showing  the  intelligence  of  its  founders,  their 
mental  powers  and  thinking  capacity.  No  matter  what  may  have  been 
the  means  at  their  command,  it  will  speak  for  itself    as   long  as  one 


108  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

brick,  or  one  stone,  or  one  beam  holds  to  another  to  indicate  a  temple 
once  dedicated  to  holy  worship.  No  matter  what  may  be  the  nature 
of  contemporary  criticism,  still  it  will  be  a  reflex  of  the  intelligence 
that  created  it." 

The  first  step  towards  the  completion  of  the  great  Synagogue  had 
been  taken,  and  the  annual  meeting  of  1864  voiced  the  great  rejoicing 
of  the  Congregation  and  its  devout  gratitude  to  Almighty  God  for 
His  visible  grace  to  the  people  He  had  led  to  their  new  home.* 

The  membership  had  grown  to  302.  Enthusiasm  over  the 
approaching  completion  of  the  magnificent  Synagogue  had  brought 
forty  new  members  that  year  to  the  ranks.  The  President 
reported  the  finances  to  be  in  an  exceedingly  flourishing  condition, 
and  asked  for  another  $30,000  to  complete  the  Synagogue,  which  was 
granted  without  a  dissenting  vote.  Seventeen  candidates  for  the 
position  of  Cantor  to  the  Congregation  had  offered  themselves,  but 
the  choice  fell  again  on  Hazan  A.  Weisler,  who  for  some  years  after- 
wards continued  to  give  the  people  faithful  and  efficient  service. 

In  November,  1864,  the  Board  was  ready  for  the  introduction  of 
the  Merzbacher  prayer-book.  Dr.  Cohn  was  asked  to  prepare  a 
number  of  regulations  governing  the  new  service.  It  was  found  that 
the  mere  introduction  of  an  abridged  prayer-book  was  insufficient  to 
establish  that  order  and  decorum  essential  to  an  intelligent  interpreta- 
tion thereof;  and  the  rules  "for  the  proper  solemnization  of  our 
divine  service  "  also  the  "  Regulations  for  Divine  Service  "  then 
adoptedt  are  still  governing  the  service  except  in  so  far  as  the  sub- 
stitution of  the  Union  Prayer-book  necessitated  their  modification. 

The  most  serious  trouble  Congregation  Emanu-El  has  ever  been 
compelled  to  face  dates  from  the  introduction  of  these  rules.  The 
facts  of  the  ultimate  founding  of  the  Ohabe  Shalome  Congregation 
have  already  been  briefly  noticed,  and  it  remains  to  be  said  that  the 
factional  troubles,  that  were  fermenting  for  two  years,  finally  culmi- 
nated in  a  minority  demand  for  a  repeal  of  the  Congregation's  action 
whereby  the  Minhag  Ashkenaz  was  abolished  and  the  order  of  ser- 
vices of  the  Temple  Emanu-El  of  New  York  introduced.     A  number 

♦Officers  for  1864-1865:  I,.  Sachs,  President;  M.  Heller,  Vice-President;  Jacob  Greenebaum, 
Treasurer;  Trustees,  Isaac  F.  Block,  William  Greenhood,  Abraham  Seligman,  M.  Mayblum,  Louis 
Cohn,   L.   Diukelspiel. 

t  Minutes  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El,  Vol.  I,  page  331. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  log 

of  the  members  clamored  for  the  retention  of  the  traditional  service. 
It  must  be  said  again,  and  upon  the  testimony  of  a  number  of  the 
then  seceding  members,  that  the  changes  in  the  ritual  were  used  as  a 
■public  motive  for  precipitating  a  revolt  against  the  established  order  of 
things  in  Congregation  Emanu-El.  The  hour  for  the  revolt,  it  must 
be  confessed,  was  well  chosen.  The  Congregation,  still  worshiping 
in  the  Broadway  Synagogue,  a  building  utterly  inadequate  to  accom- 
modate more  than  half  its  present  membership,  had  become  involved 
in  an  obligation  exceeding  the  sum  of  $150,000  for  the  completion  of 
the  Sutter  Street  Synagogue.  This  obligation  necessitated  financial 
sacrifices  the  members  were  required  to  bear  in  proportionate  degree; 
and  whilst  the  outlook,  seemed  clear  for  the  ultimate  discharge  of  the 
entire  indebtedness  so  incurred,  one  of  the  main  conditions  was  the 
keeping  of  the  membership  intact.  Despite  its  great  strength,  the 
Congregation  was  at  no  time  so  ill  prepared  to  lose  members.  Its 
very  life,  in  view  of  the  heavy  obligations  resting  upon  it,  depended 
on  unity.  Just  then  the  crisis  came.  The  dissenting  members  pro- 
fessed to  have  no  sympathy  with  external  reforms.  They  pleaded 
for  the  retention  of  traditional  forms.  They  criticized  the  abolition 
of  the  second  days  of  the  holidays  and  the  abridgements  sanctioned 
in  the  new  prayer-book.  A  special  meeting  of  the  Congregation, 
held  November  24,  1864,  carefully  listened  to  the  representatives  of 
this  minority,  and  after  earnest  and  prolonged  discussion  decided  that 
Emanu-El  could  not,  and  must  not,  retrograde  (Minutes,  Vol.  I,  p. 
332).  Then  followed  what  a  number  of  the  people  for  some  time 
had  considered  inevitable,  the  defection  of  a  large  and,  in  many 
respects,  influential  element,  in  order  to  found  another  Congregation 
that  should  be  conducted  upon  traditional  lines.  In  January,  1865, 
the  Board  accepted  the  resignations  of  thirty-six  members,  who  with- 
drew in  a  body;  and  these  were  followed  by  others,  so  that  before 
the  springtide  nearly  sixty  members  had  severed  their  connection  with 
the  Congregation.  The  defection  produced  great  depression.  Dis- 
sension and  friction,  in  both  religious  and  social  circles,  were 
unavoidable.  The  people  who  had  seceded  and  the  people  who 
remained  were  related  and  bound  to  each  other  by  ties  of  kinship  and 
association.  The  defection  naturally  reduced,  temporarily,  the  capac- 
ity of  the  Congregation  to  develop  its  comprehensive  and  far-reaching 


no  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

plans  for  the  future.  But  at  this  most  critical  juncture  we  are  again 
called  upon  to  regard  the  admirable  temper  of  this  Western  pioneer 
Congregation.  The  remaining  members  simply  closed  up  ranks. 
The  officers  found  a  way  of  weathering  the  storm.  After  the  resig- 
nation of  these  members,  not  very  long  afterwards,  the  pleasant 
discovery  was  made  that  Emanu-El,  though  somewhat  reduced  in 
numbers,  was  more  homogeneous  than  ever  before,  and  that  the 
departure  of  the  dissenters  had  only  tended  to  promote  a  greater 
peace  and  harmony,  and  a  stronger  resolution  to  go  forward  in  the 
path  of  progress  and  enlightened  religion.  "Ye  have  contemplated 
wrongfully,  but  God  hath  meditated  unto  good,"  said  Joseph  once 
unto  his  brethren,  and  a  similar  happy  experience  came  to  Emanu-El, 
that  the  organization  of  a  new  Congregation,  upon  ostensibly  opposite 
fundamental  lines,  only  tended  in  the  end  to  greater  prosperity,  to  a 
fuller  sympathy  with,  and  riper  understanding  of,  its  mission,  and  to 
the  complete  recognition  of  its  representative  position  in  the  com- 
munity. Happily  the  rancor  of  that  secession  is  forgotten.  We  have 
been  permitted — we  of  Emanu-El — to  witness  the  return  to  the  ranks 
of  many  brethren  who  participated  in  that  agitation,  and,  after  the 
lapse  of  thirty-five  years,  we  may  indeed  devoutly  confess  that  an 
almighty  and  beneficent  Providence  changeth  all  things  for  the  best. 

On  Tuesday,  April  18,  1865,  the  Congregation  took  formal  notice 
of  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln. 

"Whereas,"  said  the  Board,  "  We  are  apprised  of  the  death  of 
Abraham  Lincoln,  President  of  the  United  States,  by  the  abominable 
deed  of  an  assassin,  whereby  our  Nation  has  met  with  the  irreparable 
loss  of  a  pure,  upright  man,  a  true  patriot  and  martyr,  whose  zeal 
and  integrity  as  chief  magistrate  of  the  American  Republic  during 
the  late  national  strife  was  the  beacon  light  of  hope  for  the  restoration 
of  our  country,  which  already  began  to  dispel  the  darkness  of  the 
gloomy  horizon.     Therefore  be  it 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Congregation  Emanu-El,  with  the  rest  of 
their  fellow  citizens,  deeply  deplore  the  loss  the  Nation  has  sustained 
in  the  death  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 

"  Resolved,  That  in  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  illustrious  dead 
we  attend,  with  our  fellow  citizens,  the  funeral  obsequies,  on  Wednes- 
day, April  19th,  and  that  our  Synagogue  be  draped  in  mourning  for 
thirty  days." 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  /// 

The  assassination  of  President  Lincoln  created  the  deepest  distress 
in  the  Jewish  community  of  San  Francisco.  The  following  pathetic 
description  is  incorporated  in  these  chronicles:  * 

THE  NEWS  IN  THE  SYNAGOGUE. 

Just  as  the  Rev.  Dr.  ElkanCohn,  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El,  on  Broadway,  was  as- 
cending the  pulpit  on  Saturday  to  deliver  the  usual  sermon,  a  copy  of  the  dispatch  announc- 
ing the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln  was  handed  to  him,  and  on  reading  the  same,  he 
was  so  overcome  that,  bursting  in  tears,  he  sank  to  the  ground  almost  senseless.  Recov- 
ering, in  broken  accents  he  announced  the  news  to  the  Congregation,  and  it  fell  upon 
their  ears  like  a  thunderbolt — the  whole  audience  being  moved  to  tears.  The  impression 
created  was  beyond  description.  Dr.  Cohn  then  made  a  very  impressive  and  eloquent 
address  on  the  character  of  the  national  calamity. 

In  the  midst  of  this  public  distress,  and  hampered  by  the  defec- 
tion of  a  large  body  of  its  members,  it  is  pleasant  to  notice  that, 
from  Board  meeting  to  Board  meeting,  from  month  to  month,  new 
members  sought  admission,  so  that  at  the  close  of  the  year  nearly  the 
full  number  had  again  been  attained.  Before  the  approach  of  the 
holidays  the  new  Congregation  Ohabe  Shalome  had  been  organized, 
and  a  house  of  worship  had  been  secured;  and  the  spirit  of  Emanu- 
El  towards  its  seceding  element  may  be  judged  from  the  following 
(Minutes,  Vol.  I,  p.  352,  September  13,  1865): 

"  A  communication  was  read  from  the  Ohabe  Shalome  Congre- 
gation extending  an  invitation  to  the  Board,  and  through  them  to  the 
members  of  Congregation  Emanu-El,  to  be  present  at  the  dedica- 
tion of  their  new  Synagogue,  on  Friday,  the  15th  inst.  On  motion, 
the  communication  was  received  and  filed,  and  invitation  accepted, 
the  members  of  the  Board,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cohn,  A.  Weisler,  Esq.,  the 
Secretary  and  Collector  to  meet  at  Dr.  Cohn's  school-building  for 
the  purpose  of  proceeding  thence  to  the  place  of  dedication  in  a 
body." 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  1865  (October  8th)  President  Louis 
Sachs  made  no  mention  whatever  of  the  causes  of  the  defection  of  a 
large  number  of  the  members  beyond  stating  that  the  number  had 
fallen  to  267,  but  that  he  was  confident  that  before  the  lapse  of  another 
year  the  Congregation  would  witness  a  large  increase.  Of  the  new 
Synagogue  the  President  writes  as  follows: 

*  Kxtract  from  one  of  the  daily  papers. 


ii2  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

"  Our  new  Synagogue,  now  in  course  of  erection  on  the  Sutter 
street  site,  promises  to  be  a  noble  structure.  It  meets  with  the  admira- 
tion of  most  everybody,  and  when  completed  the  members  of  the  Con- 
gregation Emanu-El  may  well  feel  proud  of  possessing  such  a  house 
of  worship.  According  to  contract  it  should  have  been  finished  in 
August  last,  but  on  account  of  many  unforeseen  circumstances  the 
contractors  have  not  been  able  to  do  so  at  the  stated  time;  the  mate- 
rial is  mostly  on  the  premises,  and  we  have  the  assurance  that  the 
holy  edifice  will  be  completed  in  three  months." 

The  cost  of  the  building,  up  to  that  period,  was  $135,000.  The 
Congregation  instructed  its  officers  to  proceed  as  rapidly  as  possible, 
and,  inasmuch  as  the  financial  condition  of  the  Congregation  was 
prosperous  in  the  highest  degree,  assurances  were  given  that  the 
funds  needed  to  bring  the  great  structure  to  an  early  completion 
would  be  immediately  forthcoming.* 

So  came  the  time  when  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  would  rever- 
ently enter  the  portals  of  its  new  home,  and  crown  the  pioneer  work 
of  fifteen  years  with  the  solemn  consecration  of  one  of  the  most  im- 
posing and  stateliest  synagogues  in  America.  On  Marchoth,  1866,  the 
Board  of  Officers  addressed  a  circular  letter  to  the  members  of  the 
Congregation  from  which  we  extract  the  following  paragraphs: 

"  With  feelings  of  extreme  joy  we  beg  leave  to  announce  to  you, 
that  by  the  will  of  an  Almighty  Providence,  and  through  the  untiring 
zeal  and  perseverance  of  an  energetic  committee,  your  new  synagogue 
on  Sutter  street  has  been  completed,  and  will  be  ready  for  dedication 
on  Friday,  the  23d  inst. 

"  If  it  was  the  original  intention  of  your  members  to  erect  a  House 
of  Worship  of  a  given,  required  capacity,  and  of  a  style  calculated  to 
be  in  conformity  with  the  progress  of  architecture,  we  feel  warranted 
in  saying  that  not  even  the  most  sceptical  could,  or  did,  expect  to  see 
their  most  sanguine  expectations  realized  to  the  full  extent  which  now 
they  certainly  must,  by  beholding  the  TEMPLE  EMANU-EL  in  its 
finished  state,  erected  in  the  name  of  God,  for  His  divine  Service;  a 
lasting  monument  of  our  faith;   a  positive  ornament  to  our  city. 

♦Officers  for  1865 -1866:  President,  I,.  Sachs;  Vice-President,  Martin  Heller;  Treasurer,  J.  Greene- 
baum;  Secretary,  B.  Hagan;  Trustees,  Isaac  F.  Bloch,  A.  Seligmau,  L.  Dinkelspiel,  I«ouis  Cohu, 
B.  Price,   A.  Hirschfelder. 


re 
o 

re 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-EL  //j 

"  *  As  far  as  the  practical  execution  of  this  undertaking 

is  concerned,  it  thus  presents  to  all  intents  and  purposes  a  complete 
success!  Fellow  members,  we  now  appeal  to  your  generosity;  we 
appeal  to  your  wonted  attachment  to  our  cherished  Congregation,  to 
take  such  steps  and  measures  as  may  tend  to  secure  a  speedy  liquida- 
tion of  your  financial  liabilities,  necessarily  incurred  in  the  absence 
*     *     *     of  pecuniary  aid  from  any  one  outside  the  Congregation." 

On  Friday  evening,  March  23,  1866,  after  more  than  four  years  of 
anxious  labor  for  a  glorious  and  happy  consummation,  the  Sutter 
Street  Synagogue,  commonly  known  as  "  the  Temple  Emanu-El," 
was  solemnly  dedicated  to  the  service  of  the  living  God.  The  cere- 
mony was  very  imposing.  The  members  and  their  families,  and  a 
large  number  of  invited  guests,  were  called  to  the  regular  evening 
service,  which  was  preceded  by  a  brief  programme  of  dedication  pre- 
pared by  Dr.  Cohn.     The  programme  was  as  follows: 

ORDER  OF  SERVICES  AT  THE   DEDICATION  OF  THE  SYNAGOGUE 

OF  CONGREGATION   EMANU-EL. 

Sutter  Street,  San  Francisco,  .        Friday,  March  23,  5626. 

1.  VOLUNTARY. 

2.  ANTHEM. 

All  men,  all  things,  all  that  has  life  and  breath,  sing  to  the  Lord,  Hallelujah. 

Praise  the  Lord  with  lute  and  harp,  in  joyful  song  extol  Him  and  all  flesh 
magnify  His  might  and  His  glory. 

Praise  thou  the  Lord,  oh  my  spirit,  all  my  soul  declare;  praise  His  great  loving 
kindness  and  forget  thou  not  all  His  benefits. 

Praise  thou  the  Lord,  oh  my  spirit. 

3.  THE  OPENING  OF  THE  GATES. 

Open  ye  the  Gates,  that  the  righteous  nation  that  keepeth  the  trust  may  enter. 
(Isaiah  xxvi:  2.) 

Then  were  opened  the  doors,  the  procession  admitted,  the  Congregation  arose 
and  the  choir  sang: 
Blessed  be  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
We  bless  you  out  of  the  House  of  the  Lord. 

4.  THE  DEPOSITION  OF  THE  SCROLLS. 

"  Hear,  O  Israel,  the  Lord  our  God,  the  Lord  is  one!  " 

5.  THE  DEDICATORY  PRAYER  OF  SOLOMON. 

6.  A  PSALM  OF  DAVID. 

7.  DEDICATORY  PRAYER. 

8.  ANOTHER  PSALM. 


ii4  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

9.     THE  RECESSION. 

Praise  the  name  of  the  Lord,  for  His  name  alone  is  exalted. 

10.  ANTHEM. 

God  watching  over  Israel  slumbers  not  nor  sleeps;  shouldst  thou,  walking  in 
grief,  languish,  He  will  quicken  thee;  He,  watching  over  Israel,  slumbers  not  nor 
sleeps. 

11.  THE  CONSECRATION  SERMON. 

12.  ANOTHER  ANTHEM. 

The  Heavens  are  telling  the  glory  of  God,  the  wonder  of  His  work  displays 
the  firmament.  To  the  day  that  is  coming  speaks  the  day,  the  night  that  is  gone 
to  the  following  night.  In  all  the  lands  resounds  the  word  never  unperceived, 
ever  understood.  The  heavens  are  telling  the  glory  of  God,  the  wonder  of  His 
work  displays  the  firmament. 

13.  THE  EVENING  SERVICE. 

It  was  an  occasion  to  be  remembered  unto  future  generations. 
The  stately  edifice,  even  now  reckoned  one  of  the  handsomest  church 
buildings  in  all  America,  was  the  pride  and  wonder  of  all  California, 
and  its  repute  reached  to  the  confines  of  the  country  and  far  beyond. 
It  is  not  only  a  monument  to  the  liberality  and  generosity  of  the 
members  of  Emanu-El;  it  stands  as  a  testimony  to  that  great  master- 
builder,  its  architect,  William  Patton,  who  considered  the  great  struc- 
ture the  achievement  of  his  life,  and  whose  name  will  be  inseparably 
connected  with  its  existence.  It  represented  the  progressive  tenden- 
cies of  more  than  three  hundred  American-Jswish  families,  who  but 
fifteen  years  before  had  ventured  into  the  uncultivated  regions  of 
California,  into  the  tented  village  of  Yerba  Buena,  and  by  dint  of 
unparalleled  industry  and  perseverance  had  attained  to  a  degree  of 
wealth  and  influence  that  enabled  them  to  rear  this  Great  Synagogue 
as  a  contribution  to  the  architectural  beauty  of  San  Francisco,  as  well 
as  an  expression  of  their  sincere  piety  and  their  fealty  to  the  ancestral 
faith.  For  years  the  spires  of  the  Synagogue  were  the  principal 
landmarks  to  the  traveler  approaching  the  city  from  the  East;  even 
now,  overtopped  by  large,  towering  buildings,  the  golden  globes  that 
crown  the  towers  are  seen  from  the  Bay.  The  Synagogue  is  still  the 
handsomest  church  building  in  California — proud  testimony  of  the 
devotion  of  the  fathers.  The  inevitable  is  now  happening.  When 
the  spirit  of  peace  and  amity  is  not  hampered  in  a  congregational  body, 
when  the  latter  is  homogeneous,  its  growth  is  practically  unimpeded; 
and  so  it  doth  happen,  by  the  grace  of  God,  that  this  noble  building, 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  115 

regarded  with  affection  by  its  builders,  with  veneration  by  their  suc- 
cessors, is  finally  proving,  once  again,  the  remarkable  growth  of  the 
Temple  Congregation,  and  with  more  regret  that  can  be  expressed  in 
words,  it  is  now  felt  that  in  the  coming  years  another  Synagogue,  of 
still  larger  dimensions,  will  prove  necessary,  if  the  growth  of  the 
Congregation  is  not  to  be  impeded.  Within  the  next  decade,  the 
first  of  the  TWENTIETH  CENTURY,  Emanu-El  may  be  com- 
pelled to  leave  the  venerated  halls  of  the  Sutter  Street  Synagogue ; 
but,  no  greater  can  be  the  degree  of  holiness  of  any  other  structure ; 
no  greater  can  be  its  beauty,  no  deeper  the  spirit  of  them  that  shall 
worship  in  its  precincts.  Truly,  the  generation  that  reared  "  the 
Temple  "  were,  as  Isaiah  once  proclaimed,  "  a  righteous  people, 
guarding  the  truth"! 

One  of  the  dailies  of  San  Francisco  gave  the  following  report  of 
the  consecration  of  the  Sutter  Street  Synagogue : 

The  new  Synagogue  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  was  dedicated  yesterday  afternoon 
in  the  presence  of  a  large  number  of  our  most  influential  residents,  both  of  the  Christian 
and  Jewish  churches.  The  building  was  illuminated  with  gas,  making  a  most  striking 
appearance.  All  the  architectural  beauty  of  the  vast  auditorium  was  fully  apparent,  and 
the  visitor  was  lost  in  admiration  at  the  magnificent  proportions  of  the  interior,  and  the 
great  skill  manifested  in  harmonizing  the  whole.  Shortly  after  4:00  p.  M.  the  organ  gave 
notice  that  the  ceremonies  were  commencing,  and  after  the  voluntary  by  Professor  Herold, 
Mr.  Weisler  (a  pupil  of  Rev.  Dr.  Sulzer,  of  Vienna),  the  Reader  to  the  Congregation, 
sang  the  opening  hymn  in  truly  admirable  style.  In  fact,  this  gentleman's  chanting  and 
reading  of  the  Hebrew  are  faultless,  for  he  combines  with  a  sympathetic  baritone  voice  an 
excellent  musical  school,  and  could  rank  most  of  those  who  aim  for  musical  honors  in 
more  worldly  professions. 

The  various  hymns,  psalms,  etc.,  incident  to  the  service  were  rendered  by  a  choir  of 
twenty-six  voices,  Miss  Louisa  Tourney  being  the  leading  artiste,  doing  herself  great 
credit,  particularly  in  the  rendering  of  portion  of  Mendelssohn's  Hymn  of  Praise;  and  they 
rendered  full  justice  to  the  sacred  and  sublime  music  entrusted  to  them.  The  chanting 
of  Mr.  Weisler,  and  the  responds  by  the  choir,  were  remarkably  effective. 

The  choir  consisted  as  follows:  Sopranos— Mesdames  L.  Tourney,  E.  Kosminsky, 
Grotjen,  Gleason,  Theis,  P.  Greenhood,  H.  Steppacher,  and  F.  Rosenberger.  Altos — 
Mesdames  R.  Mock,  S.  Wertheimer,  J.  Landesman,  R.  Levison,  M.  Mayrisch,  and 
West.  Tenors— Messrs.  Anderson,  Charles,  Stefl'ens,  Swift,  Brown,  and  Schraub- 
stadter.     Bass— Messrs.  Wunderlich,  Newman,  Stadtfelt,  Stephens,  Zahn,  Koetchman. 

After  the  opening  solo,  the  procession,  headed  by  twenty-six  little  girls  dressed  in 
white,  with  wreaths  and  blue  sashes,  accompanied  by  a  larger  number  of  boys,  preceded 
the  bearers  of  the  Law,  and  officers  and  members  of  the  Congregation  advanced  one  up 
each  of  the  principal  aisles  to  the  front  of  the  altar.  Rev.  Dr.  Colin,  and  Mr.  Sachs,  the 
President  of  the  Congregation,  bearing  each  a  scroll  of  the  Decalogue.  After  appropriate 
prayers  and  hymns,  the  sacred  scrolls  were  deposited  in  the  Ark,  and  Dr.  Colin  gave  the 


n6 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 


dedicatory  prayer,  on  the  conclusion  of  which  the  Reader  and  choir  chanted  the  balance 
of  the  service.  This  was  succeeded  by  a  sermon  in  English  by  Dr.  Cohn,  which,  whilst 
it  gave  a  review  of  the  progress  of  the  Jewish  people  and  the  reason  of  the  reformation  in 
style  of  worship,  paid  quite  a  deserved  tribute  to  their  energy,  perseverance,  talent  and 
loyalty.  He  said  that  whilst  in  religion  they  were  Israelites,  they  know  no  other  national- 
ity than  that  of  Americans.  His  sermon,  which  for  erudition  and  interest  could  not  be 
surpassed,  occupied  an  hour  in  its  delivery,  and  was  succeeded  by  a  hymn.  The  usual 
Sabbath  eve  services  were  then  chanted  by  Mr.  Weisler,  and  the  stranger  became  aware 
how  grand  and  beautiful — how  harmonious  and  pleasant  is  the  ancient  tongue — the  Hebrew 
— combining  the  euphony  of  the  Spanish,  with  a  comprehensiveness  of  expression  unknown 
to  other  tongues,  it  embraces  grace,  melody  and  force;  and  as  we  gazed  around  the  large 
gathering  seated  in  an  edifice  combining  all  that  modern  art  and  taste  can  design,  we  were 
carried  back  mentally  to  the  days  of  the  ancient  kingdom,  when  Israel  was  a  power  and 
a  nation  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  yet,  for  all  the  years  of  adversity  and  trial  which 
have  beset  them,  they  still  realize  to  a  great  measure,  by  their  indomitable  perseverance, 
energy  and  talent,  the  same  power  which  was  wrested  from  them  in  the  Holy  Land.  On 
the  conclusion  of  the  Sabbath  evening  services,  congratulations  were  passed  between 
pastor  and  friends,  and  the  large  congregation  dispersed,  highly  gratified,  as  were  their 
visitors,  with  the  ceremonies  of  the  day.  The  usual  Sabbath  ceremonies  will  be  held 
to-day  in  the  new  Synagogue,  with  the  addition  of  a  repetition  of  the  same  choral  service 
of  yesterday,  and  to-night  the  choice  of  seats  will  be  offered  at  public  competition.  —  The 
Alia,  Saturday,  March  24,  1S66. 

Thus  Emanu-El  commenced  its  life  in  the  new  Temple  with  a 
benediction:  "For  now  hath  the  Lord  enlarged  us,  and  we  have 
become  fruitful  in  the  land." 


IV. 


"From  Generation  unto  Generation." 


H  E  two  decades  succeeding  the  consecration  of  the  Sutter 
Street  Synagogue  found  the  Congregation  nobly  engaged 
in  meeting  the  responsibilities  it  had  created.  Relig- 
iously, it  was  an  era  of  peace,  content  and  harmony. 
The  Congregation,  having  by  its  rapid  growth  and  its  pro- 
nounced reform  tendencies  taken  rank  amongst  the  leading 
religious  organizations  of  the  country,  its  leaders  were  bent  upon 
preserving  the  prestige  attained,  and,  by  steadily  developing  the 
religious  sentiment  of  the  succeeding  generation,  securing  the  per- 
manency of  the  institution  founded  by  the  fathers.  From  a  material 
point  of  view,  the  Congregation  was  confronted  with  a  heavy  debt, 
which  might  have  threatened  its  existence  but  for  that  unexampled 
liberality  of  its  members,  which,  at  every  critical  period  of  its  history 
came  to  the  rescue  and  finally  brought  the  organization  to  a  condition 
of  prosperity  almost  unique  in  the  history  of  Jewish  congregations. 
During  that  period  of  careful  administration  and  delicate  treatment  of 
educational  questions,  the  names  of  Adolphus  Hollub,  Moses  Selig 
and  Martin  Heller  appear  as  those  of  laymen  who  served  with  a  devo- 
tion that  calls  for  unstinted  praise;  and  a  divine  grace  permitted  the 
learned  and  lovable  Rabbi,  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn,  to  inspire  a  new  genera- 
tion with  the  maturity  of  his  attainments,  his  most  exemplary  piety 
and  his  gracious  deportment  as  a  gentleman  and  American  citizen. 

Shortly  after  the  consecration  of  "  the  Temple  ",  the  Broadway 
Synagogue  was  sold  to  the  San  Francisco  Board  of  Education  for 
$19,000.  The  annual  meeting  of  September  30th,  1866,  gave  voice 
to  the  rejoicing  of  the  people  over  the  happy  removal  from  the  old 
cramped  quarters  and  the  enlarged  opportunities  of  religion  and  edu- 
cation in  the  spacious  halls  of  the  Sutter  Street  Synagogue.  "  If  I 
look  back,"  said  Louis  Sachs  to  the  Congregation,  "and  consider 
what  we  have  accomplished  during  the  past  four  years,  we  cannot 
help  but  express   thanks  to  our   Heavenly  Father  for    His  mercy  in 


n8  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

giving  us  health,  strength  and  perseverance  to  carry  out  our  great 
undertaking,  which  without  His  guidance  would  have  been  impossible 
of  accomplishment.  Indeed,  God  has  watched  over  and  guarded  our 
beloved  Congregation.  Our  Synagogue,  in  which  we  are 

to-day  assembled,  was  finished  and  dedicated  March  23d  of  this  year. 
The  dedication  ceremonies  were  of  an  imposing  character  and  highly 
impressive  to  whomsoever  witnessed  the  same.  It  was  a  great  under- 
taking, gentlemen,  for  our  Society  to  erect  such  a  building,  the  mag- 
nitude of  which  we  ourselves  did  not  realize  until  we  got  fairly 
started.  It  has  cost  a  large  amount  of  money,  a  great  deal  of  labor 
and  anxiety  to  carry  this  project  to  a  successful  conclusion.  Often 
have  I  sat  in  the  unfinished  building,  thinking  to  myself  will  we  ever 
make  a  success  of  this  ?  Thank  God,  it  is  accomplished;  we  have 
erected  a  building  of  which  every  Israelite  on  the  Pacific  Coast  may 
be  proud.  Here,  gentlemen,  stands  a  monument  to  Judaism,  and,  if 
we  exist  no  more,  our  children  will  view  it  with  pride  and  delight. 
And  we  have  not  erected  this  building  for  outward  show,  but  for  the 
honor  our  holy  religion  will  derive  therefrom." 

Thus  spoke  this  pious  man  upon  his  retirement  from  office.  Before 
doing  so,  he  expressed  the  deep  gratitude  of  the  Congregation  to  a 
number  of  gentlemen,  composing  the  Building  Committee  of  the 
Synagogue,  whose  names  are  here  gratefully  remembered.  Henry 
Regensburger  was  Chairman,  and  upon  him,  until  his  death,  which 
unhappily  took  place  before  the  consecration,  devolved  most  of  the 
difficult  work.  David  Stern  was  its  Secretary.  Of  the  members 
B.  Reinhart  and  our  venerable  Aaron  Cahn  still  survive,  and  we 
here  bestow  upon  them  the  measure  of  praise  due  them  in  an  eminent 
degree. 

Note. — President  Louis  Sachs,  after  his  retirement,  continued  to  take  a  lively  interest 
in  the  progress  of  the  Congregation.  He  lived  to  see  the  institution  completely  out  of 
debt,  and  to  rejoice  in  the  admission  of  a  new  generation  to  the  usefulness  of  membership. 
A  man  of  peace  and  retiring  disposition,  he  was  nevertheless  an  intelligent  participant  in 
public  affairs,  having  been  at  one  time  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  California,  and  died  December  19,  1890,  at  the  age  of  70,  much  lamented  and 
regretted. 

With  the  induction  of  Martin  Heller  into  the  presidential  chair 
began  that  great  systematization  of  all  the  departments  of  congrega- 
tional work    that  has  produced    benign  and    lasting  results.     Martin 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  ng 

Heller,  then  in  the  prime  of  his  life,  was  preeminently  an  adminis- 
trator, who  combined  the  ideals  of  religion  with  rugged,  practical 
sense,  and  who,  ambitious  to  elevate  the  character  of  the  public  ser- 
vice, would  yet  never  forget  that  religion  without  a  practical  business 
administration  might  easily  weaken,  so  far  as  its  organized  character 
is  concerned.  From  his  day  begin  two  struggles,  in  both  of  which 
this  great  President  of  Emanu-El  has  taken  a  prominent  part :  the 
first,  to  clear  the  new  Synagogue  of  its  heavy  incumbrances;  the  sec- 
ond, to  bring  each  department  of  the  Congregational  service  in 
harmony  with  the  whole.  As  we  will  see  later  on.  he  entered  the  presi- 
dential office  with  no  thought  of  being  a  mere  passive  representative 
of  Congregational  dignity ;  to  him  the  position  of  a  Parnass  meant 
hourly  thought  and  daily  labor  for  the  preservation  of  all  the  interests 
entrusted  to  him.  His  private  affairs  required  his  withdrawal  from 
the  office  that  year,  but  upon  his  return  to  San  Francisco  he  continued 
to  serve  in  the  Board,  and  in  1880  resumed  the  presidency,  continu- 
ing in  office  for  fourteen  years,  and  creating  a  distinct  epoch  in  the 
history  of  the  Congregation  he  loved  with  all  the  ardor  of  his  nature. 

President  Martin  Heller  found  the  affairs  of  the  Congregation 
somewhat  critical.  The  Congregation  was  heavily  indebted.  The 
sum  of  $65,000  remained  to  be  disposed  of.  Of  this  the  Congrega- 
tion owed  $32,000,  upon  which  it  paid  interest  at  the  rate  of  12  per 
cent,  per  annum:  $30,800  was  owed  in  "scrip"  to  members,  bearing 
no  interest;  the  rest  was  a  floating  debt.  The  annual  deficit  was 
$4,000.  In  this  emergency  the  Board  of  Directors  thought  of  mort- 
gaging the  Synagogue  for  the  whole  amount  of  the  indebtedness, 
and  reducing  the  deficit  by  curtailing  the  salaries  of  the  officials. 
The  annual  meeting  of  October  27,  1867,  over  which  Isaac  F.  Bloch, 
in  the  absence  of  the  President,  presided,  refused  almost  unani- 
mously to  adopt  either  or  both  propositions.  The  members  of 
Emanu-El  would  have  no  mortgage  on  their  Synagogue,  nor  would 
they  reduce  the  salaries  of  faithful  officials.  What  they  consented  to 
do  was  to  reduce  the  interest-bearing  debt  by  further  donations  and 
subscriptions,  and  expressed  no  doubt  that  time,  peace,  and  compe- 
tent administration  would  successfully  solve  the  financial  problem. 

The  Congregation,  at  an  adjourned  meeting  (October  30,  1867) 
elected  Adolphus  Hollub  its  President. 


i2o  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

During  the  administration  of  this  polished  and  refined  gentleman, 
the  Congregation  made  earnest  efforts  to  reduce  the  debt.  In  April, 
1868,  a  number  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  organized  a  Fair  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Building  Fund,  which  netted  $12,000,  and  which  mate- 
rially relieved  the  burden  of  taxation  resting  upon  the  membership. 
In  his  annual  report  Mr.  Hollub  strongly  emphasized  the  great  advan- 
tage the  Congregation  had  derived  from  the  intelligent  support  of  its 
women,  and  through  Messrs.  Seixas  Solomons  and  Jacob  Steppacher, 
respectively  President  and  Secretary  of  the  Fair  Association,  pre- 
sented the  profound  thanks  of  the  Congregation  to  all  who  had  been 
instrumental  in  furthering  this  good  work.  Unfortunately,  the  severe 
earthquake  of  October  21,  186S,  threatened  to  wipe  out  the  substan- 
tial advantages  derived  from  the  Fair.  The  synagogue  had  received 
a  considerable  shaking,  and  a  close  examination  made  by  the  Archi- 
tect, Mr.  William  Patton,  revealed  the  fact,  that  whilst  ostensibly 
inconsiderable  damage  had  been  inflicted,  some  work  to  strengthen 
the  buttresses  had  become  imperative. 

In  May,  1869,  orthodoxy  sought  to  make  itself  felt  for  the  last 
time.  The  Congregation,  officered  by  intelligent  gentlemen,  feeling 
assured  of  its  representative  position,  began  to  realize  that  it  could 
not  exclude  itself  from  a  sympathetic  participation  in  public  affairs. 
The  completion  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railway,  as  is  still  remem- 
bered, was  celebrated  with  a  public  procession,  in  which  Dr.  Elkan 
Cohn,  as  the  representative  Jewish  clergyman  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 
and  a  delegate  from  his  own  congregation,  was  asked  to  take  part. 
This  procession  took  place  on  the  Sabbath,  yet  Dr.  Cohn,  consulting 
precedents,  as  well  as  his  own  sense  of  propriety,  thought  nothing 
wrong  of  accepting  the  invitation  and  joining  the  procession.  This 
act  incurred  the  severe  displeasure  of  a  number  of  the  members, 
who,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Congregation,  held  May  26,  asked  that  the 
learned  Rabbi  be  censured;  but  intelligent  counsels  prevailed  and  by 
a  great  majority  Dr.  Cohn's  action  was  approved  and  sustained. 
That  same  meeting  went  a  step  farther  on  the  path  of  reform,  and 
permanently  abolished  the  wearing  of  the  Tallith  by  both  Rabbi  and 
Cantor. 

On  December  7,  1871,  for  reasons  wholly  private,  Adolphus 
Hollub  resigned  the  Presidency,  and  was   succeeded   by  the  Vice- 


ADOLPHUS  HOLLUB, 

President   of  Temple   Emanu-El, 

1868- 187J. 


MOSES  SELIG, 

President    of   Temple   Emanu-El, 

1871-1880. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  121 

President,  Moses  Selig,  who,  for  the  ensuing  nine  years,  safely, 
conservatively  and  successfully  administered  the  temporal  affairs  of 
the  Congregation. 

Note. — Adolphus  Hollub  was  one  of  the  most  interesting  personages  in  the  ranks  of 
Emanu-El,  that  contained  so  large  a  number  of  able  and  progressive  men.  He  was  born 
in  Bohemia,  in  1820,  and  was  educated  for  the  Rabbinate.  Experiencing  no  ambition  for 
the  sacred  calling,  he  came  to  the  United  States,  locating  in  St.  Louis  and  subsequently 
in  New  Orleans,  whence  early  in  the  fifties  he  came  to  San  Francisco.  He  became  a 
merchant,  and  for  a  number  of  years  maintained  a  successful  establishment.  He  was, 
likewise,  a  public-spirited  citizen,  being  at  one  time  Public  Administrator  for  the  city  and 
county  of  San  Francisco.  In  Masonic  circles  he  was  highly  regarded  for  his  knowledge 
of  the  peculiar  lore  of  the  Craft,  in  which  he  indeed  greatly  excelled.  A  gentleman  in  the 
true  sense  of  the  word,  his  bearing  inspired  respect,  and  his  gentle  patience  commanded 
the  veneration  of  all  his  friends.  He  went  to  his  rest  May  25th,  1890,  at  the  age  of  three 
score  and  ten,  leaving  a  name  that  is  still  most  affectionately  remembered. 

President  Moses  Selig  found  his  office  no  sinecure.  In  1872  the 
Congregation  was  still  burdened  with  a  debt  exceeding  $52,000,  and 
the  impending  renovation  of  the  Temple  would  increase  that  indebt- 
edness. Otherwise  the  Congregation  was  flourishing  indeed.  The 
membership  steadily  increased  for  a  year  or  two,  but  thereafter  a 
signal  falling  off  began  to  be  noticed.  The  heavy  taxation  began  to 
tell  its  doleful  tale  in  the  reduction  of  numbers.  This,  however, 
caused  the  officers  no  discouragement.  They  knew  that  time  and 
patience  would  bring  a  successful  solution  of  the  financial  problems. 
Meanwhile  the  religious  school,  maintained  by  the  Congregation  and 
conducted  by  pious  and  devoted  officials,  began  to  develop  a  blessed 
usefulness.     In  1872  more  than  four  hundred  scholars  were  enrolled. 

On  June  1st,  1874,  Cantor  Alexander  Weisler  resigned,  after  a 
faithful  ministration  exceeding  a  term  of  ten  years.  He  immedi- 
ately departed  for  Europe,  and  the  Congregation,  regretting  to  lose 
so  competent  a  servant,  presented  him  with  Resolutions  that  breathe 
affectionate  regards  as  well  as  gratitude  for  services  most  nobly  and 
loyally  performed.  He  was  succeeded  by  Cantor  Max  Wolff ,  during 
whose  term  of  office  the  divine  services  attained  to  a  high  degree  of 
etliciency. 

Note. — The  Reverend  Max  Wolff  was  born  in  Carlsruhe,  Germany,  in  1839.  Aftei 
graduating  with  high  honors  from  the  University,  he  went  to  Vienna,  where  he  attended 
the  Conservatory  to  complete  his  musical  education.  His  strong,  resonant  baritone  voice 
created  quite   a  sensation    in   Vienna,  and   lie  was  urged  to  appear  on  the  upi-ratic  stage, 


122  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

but,  for  love  of  his  father  who  abhorred  the  idea,  he  gave  up  all  ambition  in  that  direction. 
Shortly  afterwards  he  accepted  the  office  of  Cantor  in  the  Congregation  of  Mannheim, 
Grand  Duchy  of  Baden,  where  he  remained  five  years.  Upon  the  retirement  of  Cantor 
Alexander  Weisler,  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  selected  Mr.  Wolff  as  his  successor  out 
of  a  list  of  more  than  two  dozen  candidates:  his  call  having  been  strongly  urged  by  a 
visiting  committee  composed  of  Henry  Seligman,  resident  abroad,  and  Messrs.  Isaac 
Wormser  and  A.  Wasserman,  then  visiting  in  Europe.  He  was  elected  May  24,  1874. 
Under  Cantor  Wolff's  direction  the  musical  services  of  the  Temple  received  that  artistic 
stamp  they  have  retained  ever  since.  His  firm,  full,  sympathetic  voice  made  him  a 
favorite  with  all  the  Congregation,  and  he  directed  the  music  with  marvelous  good  taste 
and  precision.  He  was,  unhappily,  suffered  to  minister  but  a  brief  decade.  In  1882  he 
was  seized  with  an  illness  against  which  he  bravely  struggled  for  two  years,  but  finally 
succumbed,  August  30,  1884,  greatly  lamented  and  regretted.  He  was,  in  the  fullest 
sense  of  the  word,  a  sweet  singer  in  Israel,  one  of  the  sons  of  Asaph,  whose  rich  music 
filled  the  sanctuary. 

On  July  6,  1874,  tne  Congregation  participated  in  the  obsequies 
over  the  remains  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Julius  Eckman.*  The  ensuing 
years  are  the  "seven  years  of  famine"  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El. 
Burdened  with  heavy  and  special  taxation,  yet  sternly  resolved  neither 
to  mortgage  the  sacred  edifice  and  its  grounds,  nor  to  detract  from 
the  solemnity  and  impressiveness  of  the  divine  service  by  a  reduction 
of  the  forces  engaged  in  the  ministration  thereof;  still  less  willing  to 
cripple  the  usefulness  of  the  Religious  School  by  curtailing  its  large 
and  substantial  subsidy,  the  Congregation  bravely  struggled  on, 
whilst  a  number  of  members  sought  to  avoid  the  responsibility  of 
its  maintenance  by  resignation.  Much  credit,  in  these  critical  times, 
is  due  to  the  buoyant,  hopeful  spirit  of  President  Selig  and  his  Board 
of  officers,  and  the  time  came,  thanks  to  the  generosity  of  many  of 
the  members,  thanks  also  to  successive  efficient  administrations,  when 
the  heavy  clouds  lifted,  and  the  financial  burdens  rolled  away.  Withal, 
God  blessed  the  Congregation  with  Peace;  and  Peace  solves  greater 
difficulties  than  those  which  confronted  the  people  at  that  time. 

On  Sabbath,  April  29,  1876,  the  Congregation  had  the  pleasure  of 
listening  to  the  distinguished  Dr.  Max  Lilienthal  of  Cincinnati,  whose 
benign  presence  greatly  delighted  the  community,  and  whose  mem- 
ory is  a  blessing  unto  all  Israel. 

The  "Centennial"  year  was  duly  remembered.  President  Selig, 
reporting  to  the  annual  meeting  held  October  15,  1876,  gives  utter- 
ance to  these  memorable  words: 

*See  Chapter  VII. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  123 

"  The  most  striking  feature  of  the  past  year  has  been  the  close 
of  the  first  century  of  our  Republic,  more  commonly  called  the  Cen- 
tennial. True,  our  country  has  existed  but  a  comparatively  short 
time,  but  mark  the  progress  that  has  been  made.  Every  heart 
rejoices  at  the  thought.  But,  gentlemen,  what  has  caused  our  rapid 
progress?  Union  and  Independence.  We  see  their  marked  effect 
upon  a  country  filled  with  people  of  all  kinds — how  much  greater 
must  be  their  influence  upon  a  congregation  like  ours,  united  in  the 
bonds  of  fraternity,  faith  and  good  works?" 

On  October  7,  1877,  the  Congregation  decided  to  give  its  support 
to  the  Hebrew  Union  College  of  Cincinnati,  and  has  remained  the 
friend  and  well-wisher  of  that  institution  until  this  day. 

An  interesting  notice  of  the  same  year  is  the  establishment  of  the 
Michael  Reese  "perpetual  membership."  Mr.  Reese  had  died  some 
time  previously,  providing  in  his  will  a  number  of  benefactions, 
revealing  a  true  philanthropic  intent,  and  causing  his  name  to  be  a 
blessing  unto  future  generations.  In  our  city  most  of  the  charitable 
institutions  were  the  beneficiaries  of  his  benign  disposition,  yet  his 
enduring  monument  is  the  Reese  Library  of  the  University  of  Cali- 
fornia, which  he  endowed  with  $50,000.  No  disposition  had  been 
made  of  his  seats  in  the  Temple  Emanu-El;  but  after  some  corre- 
spondence with  his  heirs,  the  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars  was  given 
the  Congregation  for  a  "perpetual  membership,"  which  virtually 
keeps  the  name  of  Michael  Reese  in  remembrance  in  the  organization 
of  which  he  had  been  a  member  for  long  years.  (Minutes,  Vol.  Ill, 
p.  14.) 

On  October  10,  18S0,  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Congregation, 
Martin  Heller  was  elected  President.  Mr.  Selig,  having  served  for 
fully  nine  years,  felt  that  his  time  for  retirement  had  come.  The 
Congregation,  profoundly  grateful  to  the  sincere  and  pious  man,  who 
had  given  its  interests  so  much  of  his  time  and  toil,  presented  him 
with  eloquent  resolutions  of  thanks,  in  which  it  is  said — 

"That  with  our  heartfelt  thanks  for  tin-  valuable  and  generous  ser- 
vices so  cheerfully  given  to  this  Congregation  by  our  retiring  Presi- 
dent, Moses  Selig,  we  pray  to  God  that  He  will  bless  him  and  his 
family  with  His  choicest  gifts  and  keep  them  long  in  our  midst  to 
enjoy  the  peace  and  comfort  which  generous  and  noble  deeds  spent 
for  religion  and  humanity  so  richly  deserve." 


124  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El . 

Note. —  President  Moses  Selig,  with  the  exception  of  Martin  Heller,  served  longer 
than  any  other  Parnass  of  the  Temple  Emanu-El.  During  his  term  of  office  financial  diffi- 
culties greatly  hampered  the  progress  of  the  Congregation;  but  the  President  never  lost 
that  hopeful  trust,  which  was  so  characteristic  of  him.  A  man  of  sincere  piety  and  of  fine 
education,  he  deserves  a  high  place  amongst  the  noble  men  to  whom  Emanu-El  is 
indebted  for  its  present  position  and  stability.  Moses  Selig  died  May  i,  1894,  full 
of  days  and  revered  by  all  his  people  for  the  beauty  and  consistency  of  his  long  life. 

With  the  administration  of  President  Martin  Heller  begins  the 
long  period  of  progressive  work  that  finally  brought  the  Temple 
Emanu-El  to  its  present  high  and  enviable  position.  Admirably 
schooled  in  the  peculiar  work  of  Congregational  administration,  thor- 
oughly conversant  with  the  needs  of  the  service,  this  singularly 
devoted  man  made  the  future  of  the  Congregation  the  task  of  his  life ; 
and  we  all  still  gratefully  remember  how  well  he  succeeded.  During 
the  fourteen  years  of  his  administration  many  things  have  happened 
that  virtually  changed  the  constitution  of  the  Congregation.  He  took 
charge  at  a  peculiarly  critical  time.  The  financial  burden  was  not 
then  pressing;  but  the  complexion  of  the  membership  was  rapidly 
changing.  The  generation  that  founded  the  Congregation  was  even  then 
traveling  towards  the  long  home  from  which  no  one  has  ever  returned. 
The  duty  devolved  upon  this  brave  and  devoted  gentleman  to  care- 
fully inquire  into  the  evolving  conditions  of  the  Congregation  and  to 
encourage  the  children  to  take  the  places  of  the  parents.  He  suc- 
ceeded in  this  task,  and  was  privileged,  at  the  close  of  his  useful  life, 
to  report  a  much  larger  membership  than  ever  before  the  Congrega- 
tion had  been  able  to  enlist.  In  his  time  the  second  generation  of 
the  San  Francisco  Jewish  Community  began  to  fill  the  pews.  The 
children  graduated  from  the  school  benches  to  the  auditorium  where 
their  parents,  in  diminishing  numbers,  met  to  worship  the  living  God. 
Martin  Heller's  policy  to  surround  himself  with  younger  men,  and 
to  give  them  voice  in  the  administration,  contributed  largely  to  their 
sympathetic  attitude,  and  it  never  could  be  said  of  Emanu-El  that  it 
was  a  Congregation  of  old  people.  His  administration  has  been  pro- 
ductive of  many  blessings.  He,  and  the  men  who  were  with  him  and 
around  him,  the  aged  but  ever  progressive  Anspacher,  the  unfor- 
gotten  Moses  Hyman,  Jacob  Greenebaum,  an  officer  of  the  Con- 
gregation for  nigh  unto  four  decades,  Julius  Jacobs,  Simon  Silver- 
berg,  Raphael  Peixotto,  and   many  others  who  came  in  afterwards, 


5»* 


MARTIN   HELLER, 

President    of   Temple   Emanu-EI, 

1866-1867, 

1880-1894. 


Chronicles    of    Emanu-El.  125 

Lippman  Sachs,  Henry  Wangenheim,  Joseph  Naphtaly,  Simon 
Newman,  S.  W.  Rosenstock,  and  the  present  Chairman  of  the  Relig- 
ious School,  Philip  Lippitt,  all,  successively  entering  the  Board, 
became  imbued  with  that  indomitable  spirit  of  Martin  Heller,  and  to 
a  considerable  extent  the  traditions  established  by  him  prevail  until 
this  day.  The  chronicles  of  his  time  are  so  very  near  our  own  that 
a  critical  examination  thereof  is  almost  impossible,  and  we  must  con- 
tent ourselves  with  the  briefest  enumeration  of  the  principal  events. 

On  October  23,  1881,  the  Congregation,  in  annual  meeting 
assembled,  formally  expressed  its  sense  of  mourning,  in  common 
with  the  Nation,  over  the  untimely  death  of  President  Garfield. 

"In  common  with  all  the  people  of  our  land,"  said  Mr.  Heller, 
"we  have  been  deeply  affected  by  the  death  of  our  beloved  Presi- 
dent, James  A.  Garfield,  and  a  fit  expression  of  our  grief  was  given 
during  the  services  on  New  Year's  Day,  when  our  esteemed  Rabbi, 
Rev.  Dr.  Cohn,  pronounced  a  very  able  eulogy  upon  the  illustrious 
dead." 

Regarding  the  persecution  of  the  Russian  Jews,  President  Heller 
says  in  the  same  report: 

"A  cry  for  help  has  reached  us  in  behalf  of  Russian-Jewish  immi- 
grants, who  have  been  forced  by  terrible  persecutions  to  leave  their 
native  land  and  seek  refuge  in  this  country.  The  Jews  in  all  parts  of 
America  are  rendering  aid  to  these  unfortunate  brethren,  and  it  is  to 
be  hoped  that  our  Jewish  Community  will  also  contribute  its  share." 

November  20,  1881,  the  Board,  with  the  concurrence  of  the  Con- 
gregation, took  final  action  in  the  then  latest  feature  of  reform  dis- 
cipline. Thenceforward  the  members  were  permitted  to  sit  bare- 
headed during  the  services,  and  a  contention,  enduring  for  two 
decades,  was  buried  forever. 

On  June  6,  1882,  the  Board  took  formal  notice  of  the  death  of 
Dr.  Max  Lilienthal,  one  of  the  great  founders  of  American-Jewish 
reform. 

It  was,  indeed,  a  time  of  the  ingathering  of  the  aged.  The  men 
who  had  reared  the  pillars  of  our  religion  began  to  bend  before  the 
ruthless  approach  of  age  and  illness.  In  September  the  eloquent 
Henry  Vidaver,  the  learned  Rabbi  of  Sherith  Israel  was  gathered  to 
his  fathers,  and  on  the  17th  of  that  month  the   Board  passed  resolu- 


126  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

tions  stating  with  great  impressiveness  that  Emanu-El,  too,  mourned 
the  loss  of  so  great  a  scholar  and  teacher.  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn's  health 
began  to  fail  that  year.  The  officers,  even  then,  discussed  the  wis- 
dom of  lightening  his  cares  and  of  calling  a  younger  man  to  his  aid. 
This  discussion  became  more  pronounced,  when  the  death  of  Cantor 
Wolff  (August  30,  1884)  threw  the  entire  burden  of  the  service  upon 
the  aged  Rabbi.  In  this  emergency  the  Congregation  was  able  to 
engage  the  services  of  Madame  Julie  Rosewald,  wife  of  the  musician 
and  composer,  Jacob  Rosewald,  and  herself  a  singer  of  note  and 
remarkable  gifts;  and  it  must  be  stated,  to  the  honor  and  credit  of 
that  gifted  woman,  that  her  fine  appreciation  of  the  needs  of  the 
service  greatly  delighted  the  Congregation  and  gave  her  an  honor- 
able place   amongst  those  who  served  Emanu-El  well  and  faithfully. 

In  October,  1884,  the  Congregation  celebrated  the  centennial  of 
Sir  Moses  Montefiore,  the  distinguished  philanthropist,  with  a  service 
in  which  all  the  Jewish  congregations  of  the  city  participated. 

Then  came  a  pleasurable  event  in  which  all  the  community  of 
San  Francisco,  regardless  of  creed  or  conditions,  took  part.  On 
June  13th,  1885,  the  Congregation  celebrated  the  twenty-fifth 
anniversary  of  the  advent  of  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn.  The  pious  and  learned 
Rabbi  had  grown  old  in  the  service  of  the  Congregation.  He  was 
regarded  by  his  people  with  a  love  and  veneration  that  falls  to  the 
lot  of  but  very  few.  But  he  was  worthy  of  all  their  love.  He  had 
been  true  and  faithful,  the  loving  guide  of  two  generations.  So  they 
assembled  in  the  great  Temple,  filled  it  from  floor  to  dome,  an  audi- 
ence made  majestic  by  exceeding  numbers,  and  Dr.  Abraham  Illch, 
addressing  the  sage  and  patriarch,  spoke  such  words  of  praise  and 
affection  as  must  have  made  an  indelible  impression  upon  all  his 
hearers.  And  the  Board  repaired  to  the  home  of  the  venerable  Rabbi, 
and  presented  him  with  a  bronze  medallion,  whereon  was  engraved 
the  record  of  his  faithful  service  with  the  legend  "Sic  nitescere  non 
omnibus  datur/"  Indeed — indeed,  it  is  given  to  but  few  to  excel 
like  our  good,  beloved  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn! 

On  April  19,  1885,  Dr.  Abraham  Illch  had  been  elected  Junior 
Rabbi  of  the  Congregation.  He  became  Dr.  Cohn's  right  hand,  a 
beloved  son  rather  than  a  co-worker,  and  their  joint  career  promised 
to  become  a  brilliant  chapter  in  the  history  of  Emanu-El.     Dr.  Illch 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  i2j 

was  an  amiable  character,  whose  rather  radical  tendencies  detracted 
in  no  way  from  the  great  esteem  in  which  he  was  held ;  but  his  pre- 
mature death,  but  a  few  months  afterwards  (September  26,  1885), 
suspended  a  most  promising  life  and  cast  the  gloom  of  sincere  mourn- 
ing over  the  entire  Congregation. 

July  31st,  1S85,  the  Congregation  met  to  mourn,  with  all  Israel, 
the  loss  of  the  beloved  Sir  Moses  Montefiore,  who  went  to  his  eternal 
rest  full  of  years  and  honors,  and  whose  memory  is  a  blessing  unto 
all  his  people. 

On  Friday  night,  December  n,  1885,  Emanu-El  lost  its  most 
faithful  Sexton,  the  venerable  Steppacher,  after  a  devoted  and  loyal 
service  of  more  than  thirty  years. 

Note. — Maier  Steppacher  was  bom  in  Adelsdorf,  Germany,  and  immigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1844.  He  came  to  California  in  1851,  and,  co-incidently  with  the  conse- 
cration of  the  Broadway  Synagogue  in  1854,  he  became  Sexton  and  Collector  to  the  Con- 
gregation. He  was  also,  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  the  collector  of  the  Eureka 
Benevolent  Society  and  the  Israelitischer  Frauenverein.  His  long  service,  his  deep 
attachment  to  the  interests  of  the  Congregation  and  his  personal  virtues  inspired  the 
people  with  a  great  affection  for  this  good  man;  and  his  death,  at  the  ripe  age  of  eighty- 
one,  was  felt  to  be  a  distinct  loss  to  the  Congregation  Emanu-El,  which,  until  this  day, 
honors  the  memory  of  its  dear  old  friend. 

On  June  14,  1886,  Dr.  Jacob  Voorsanger  was  elected  Junior 
Rabbi  of  the  Congregation. 

The  story  of  the  ensuing  years  cannot  be  written  at  present.  Some 
other  pen,  in  future  times,  perhaps  after  the  lapse  of  another  semi- 
centennial, may  find  material  for  the  continuation  of  these  "  Chron- 
icles of  Emanu-El."  It  has  been  a  period  of  changes.  Emanu-El, 
under  the  dispensation  and  by  the  grace  of  God,  renewed  itself,  like 
the  eagle's  plumage.  One  by  one  its  pioneers  passed  on,  and  there  are 
now  but  few  left  who  were  witnesses  to  the  glorious  yet  modest  begin- 
nings of  this  noble  institution.  Their  sons  are  in  their  places.  As 
often  as  death  knocked  at  our  doors,  God's  benign  goodness  was 
visible  in  new  acquisitions.  The  story  of  these  years  is  not  so  much 
a  story  of  reorganization  as  it  is  a  chronicle  of  persistent  building 
upon  the  lines  the  fathers  left  us.  Good  men  and  true  have  taken  the 
places  of  the  old,  tried  servants.  Instead  of  Martin  Heller,  who  went 
to  his  rest  in  1894,  after  a  blessed  service  of  fourteen  years,  during 
which   he  led  his  beloved  congregation  with  sagacity  and  piety,  we 


128  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

had  the  venerated  Abraham  Anspacher,  whom  God  may  preserve, 
and  we  have  now  Raphael  Peixotto,  whose  intelligent  and  careful 
administration  is  leading  the  Congregation  into  new  avenues  of  pros- 
perity, and  whose  refined  mind  always  suggests  the  proper  methods 
for  the  greater  beauty  of  the  service  and  the  usefulness  of  Emanu-El  as 
a  factor  in  the  intellectual  progress  of  the  community.  In  the  place 
of  the  old  secretaries  we  have  the  indefatigable  Henry  Wangenheim. 
In  the  place  of  those  tried  men,  Tichener,  Emanuel  Wertheimer, 
that  great  lover  of  children,  L.  M.  Cahn,  and  Leon  L.  Dennery,  we 
have  Phillip  Lippitt  as  the  head  of  our  religious  school,  and  his  ser- 
vice is  an  ample  pledge  that  the  future  of  that  institution  is  confided 
to  safe  and  faithful  hands.  And  in  the  places  of  our  sweet  singers, 
Welhof,  Weisler,  and  Wolff,  we  have  our  young  Master,  Cantor 
Edward  J.  Stark,  whose  noble  voice  fills  the  sanctuary,  and  whose 
scholarly  rendition  of  the  service  is  a  source  of  the  utmost  satisfaction 
to  all  his  people. 

On  March  n,  1889,  we  lost  our  dear  Dr.  Cohn.  Ailing  for 
months,  God's  messengers  came  for  him,  and  he  was  called  up  to  his 
eternal  reward.  And  on  September  22,  1894,  we  l°st  our  beloved 
President,  Martin  Heller,  a  most  devoted  officer,  a  pious  man,  a  most 
exemplary  citizen.  Martin  Heller  is  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the 
history  of  the  great  Western  Congregation.  During  the  long  years 
of  his  administration  he  promoted  its  peace,  he  brought  about  its 
abiding  prosperity,  and  he  developed  its  varied  interests.  He  gave 
it,  like  his  successors,  personal  service,  and  he  established  the  tradi- 
tions of  a  great  Parnass  of  a  modern  congregation.  He  took  care  of 
it;  its  prosperity  was  the  object  of  his  solicitude  by  day  and  by  night. 
He  personally  superintended  all  its  departments,  gave  wise  suggestion 
to  his  committees,  encouraged  progress,  and  by  personal  example 
enhanced  the  interest  of  the  membership,  which  materially  increased 
during  the  closing  years  of  his  administration.  Not  many  months 
before  his  death  he  directed  the  changes  in  the  service  necessitated 
by  the  adoption  of  the  Union  Prayer  Book.  The  day  of  his  demise 
was  a  day  of  mourning,  indeed,  and  now,  six  years  after,  the  memory 
of  Martin  Heller  is  revered  and  beloved  in  the  Congregation  that  can 
never  forget  the  valuable  services  he  has  rendered  it! 

And  this  virtually  ends  the  chronicles  of  the  Congregation.  As 
it  was  stated  above,  another  pen  must  write  its  subsequent  history,  the 


ABRAHAM   ANSPACHER, 

"  Old   Man   Benevolent," 

President   of   Temple    Emanu-El, 

J  894 -1896. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  120 

story  of  its  ever  growing  participation  in  all  works  that  affect  the 
intellectual  and  moral  growth  of  the  community.  Just  a  few  more 
words  will  conclude  this  chapter. 

Fourteen  years  of  residence  in  San  Francisco  have  enabled  the 
writer  to  the  extent  of  his  capacity  for  observation,  to  judge  whether 
Emanu-El  has  remained  true  to  the  ideals  of  the  pioneers,  and  whether 
its  development  has  been  as  steady  as  that  of  earlier  years.  In  setting 
down  a  suggestion  or  two,  it  is  hoped  the  reader  will  understand  that 
it  is  not  intended  to  write  any  further  history.  It  is  difficult  to  write 
the  story  of  one's  own  time,  especially  if  one  has  been,  to  whatever 
modest  extent,  a  participant  in  events  which  have  either  changed  the 
current  of  thought  or  modified  the  influences  which  formerly  pre- 
vailed. The  writer  is  still  too  young  to  have  a  history,  and  his  work 
has  as  yet  been  too  unimportant  to  deserve  prominent  notice.  It  is, 
therefore,  simply  for  the  purpose  of  holding  before  them  the  mirror 
of  the  past  few  years  that  these  concluding  lines  are  written.  If  the 
good  they  recite  will  but  encourage  the  young  to  continue  in  the  foot- 
steps of  their  elders,  the  object  will  be  fully  accomplished. 

Without  having  many  facts  at  our  present  command,  we  are 
enabled  to  draw  inferences,  which  rest  on  a  safe  basis  of  historical 
truth.  Had  any  young  Rabbi  come  to  this  Coast  fourteen  years  ago, 
and  had  he  sought  opportunities  for  observation,  he  would  have  noted 
the  encouraging  fact  that  all  the  institutions,  fostered  by  the  religious 
sentiment  of  Israel,  were  flourishing,  and  that,  even  then,  their  power 
and  influence  were  growing.  No  one,  placed  in  position  since  the 
days  of  Eckman  and  Elkan  Cohn,  the  Rabbis  who  moulded  the 
religious  thought  of  our  Emanu-El,  can  lay  the  flattering  unction  to 
his  soul  that  he  has  hewn  new  pathways  in  imaginary  forests.  These 
men  of  whom,  naturally,  there  existed  two  opinions  among  their  con- 
temporaries, so  far  as  the  character  of  their  influence  is  concerned, 
were  intellectually  and  spiritually  strong  men,  whose  responsibilities 
were  appalling  in  their  magnitude,  yet  who  discharged  them  with 
courage  and  determination.  Few  men  realize  the  delicate  character 
of  religious  work  in  new  communities.  That  there  should  be  uncon- 
scious, as  well  as  expressed,  opposition  to  the  authority  needed  in 
religious  as  well  as  in  civil  matters,  sometimes  astonishes  the  best 
intentioned.     The  position  of  the   Rabbi   in  San  Francisco  was  no 


ijo  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

sinecure,  nor  was  his  work  always  appreciated.  Eckman  soon  sank 
beneath  the  burden  of  his  responsibilities  and  retired  from  office  to 
spend  his  life  among  children.  Elkan  Cohn,  the  Schoengeist,  the 
scholar  and  philosopher,  was  compelled  to  abandon  his  favorite  pur- 
suits to  meet  the  demands  of  education,  and  labor  as  a  teacher  of 
children  as  well  as  the  pastor  of  their  parents.  He,  as  least,  was 
permitted  to  live  his  full  life,  and  of  all  the  faithful  shepherds  of  early 
days,  he  was  favored  by  Providence  to  realize  that  his  pain  and  toil 
had  not  been  in  vain.  If  the  congregations  of  San  Francisco  are 
now  more  numerous,  both  as  corporations,  and  as  regards  their  mem- 
bership, it  is  only  because  they  have  obeyed  a  natural  law  of  increase. 
Their  prosperity  is  due  neither  to  the  Rabbis,  nor  to  the  laity  of  a 
younger  generation.  The  old  pioneer  Rabbis,  the  old  pioneer  laity, 
gave  the  impulse,  laid  the  foundation,  and  nursed  the  young  institu- 
tions and  never  suffered  them  to  decline.  The  present  prosperity  is 
but  the  result  of  past  devotion,  self-consecration,  and  sometimes 
martyrdom.  Speaking  for  the  Temple  Emanu-El  of  San  Francisco, 
the  justice  of  history  demands  the  statement  that  its  commanding 
position,  its  influence  and  its  power  for  good  are  wholly  due  to  the 
self-sacrificing  labors  of  the  great  men  who  have  gone  before.  In 
making  that  statement  we  express  our  life-long  obligations  to  the 
men  whose  example  has  enabled  us  to  do  even  what  we  are  called  to 
do;  our  dear,  beloved,  unforgotten  Dr.  Cohn,  and  our  late,  venerated 
Parnass  Martin  Heller,  and  the  noble  men  whom  he  succeeded.  All 
but  one  have  gone  to  their  reward.  The  Temple  Emanu-El  is  their 
monument. 

The  same  encouraging  evidence  may  be  given  of  all  other  Jewish 
institutions,  as  well  as  of  the  growing  strength  of  character,  moral 
tone  and  intellectuality  of  the  community.  The  aggregation  of  strong 
men  on  this  Coast  has  been  significant,  almost  noteworth)\  With 
more  extended  opportunities  than  the  limited  scope  of  the  Coast — 
despite  railroad  communication,  still  compelled  to  create  much  of  its 
own  social  and  intellectual  resources — afforded  them,  some  of  our 
men  would  have  made  a  national  reputation.  Our  3'oung  men  and 
women  have  a  goodly  heritage,  not  so  much  the  affluence  for  which 
their  fathers  toiled  in  the  sweat  of  their  brow,  but  the  proud  institu- 
tions, which   the   faith,  the  love  and  devotion  of  an  older  generation 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  rji 

reared  on  this  sun-kissed  soil.  Nor  is  the  reputation  some  of  them 
have  already  made  for  themselves  so  strong  that  it  can  stand  too 
proudly  beside  the  dead  glory  of  the  elders.  The  philanthropy  that 
reared  and  sustained  the  Orphan  Asylum,  the  Eureka  Benevolent  Soci- 
ety, or  the  Israelitischer  Frauenverein,  was  an  influence  that  will  help 
the  third  and  fourth  generations.  If  we  have  founded  new  societies 
(amongst  them  our  noble  Emanu-El  Sisterhood),  the  older  foundations 
have  been  their  strength.  If  we  are,  unhappily,  compelled  to  call  new 
workers  to  the  field,  because  the  elders,  one  after  the  other,  seek 
their  Home  of  Peace,  the  results  of  the  latter's  devotion  abide  with 
us.  Our  young  people  must  know  and  understand  and  realize  that 
the  basis  of  all  -future  aspirations  rests  in  the  glorious  work  of  the 
past.  And,  confident  as  we  may  be,  that  nowhere  in  our  own  dear 
land  the  future  of  Israel  appears  as  bright  as  on  this  brightest  spot  of 
Mother  Earth,  let  history  do  our  fathers  justice.  San  Francisco  and 
California,  Oregon  and  Washington,  are  now  in  touch  with  the  world. 
Our  Congregations,  our  social,  literary  and  eleemosynary  institutions 
are  among  the  best  and  proudest  in  the  land.  Their  capacity  for 
good  is  unequaled.  Their  growth  is  unimpeded.  All  along  the  line 
we  notice  steady,  rapid  progress,  stimulated  by  the  devotion  of  the 
community.  Adverse  influences  are  absolutely  too  limited  to  hinder 
the  good  that  is  coming  to  us.  Let  our  fathers  and  mothers  have  the 
glory  of  it.  Let  it  be  said  of  them,  in  all  truth  and  fairness,  that 
whatever  we  enjoy,  they  made  the  enjoyment  possible.  If,  per- 
chance, they  builded  better  than  they  knew,  that  detracts  not  an  iota 
from  their  honor.  For  we  are  the  reapers,  God  helped  them  to  sow. 
The  least  we  can  do  is  to  remain  wide  awake  to  leave  so  fair  a 
bequeathment  as  our  Emanu-El  to  the  next  generation.  For  we,  in 
turn,  shall  grow  old,  and  some  day  we,  too,  will  need  the  testimony  of 
history.  Happy  he  of  whom  it  will  be  said,  he  spent  neither  his 
young  days  nor  his  old  age  in  culpable  idleness.  Happy  he,  who 
shall  be  permitted  to  witness  God's  faithfulness  that  endureth  "  from 
generation  unto  generation." 


V. 


The  Emanu-El  Religious  School. 


HEN  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  was  organized  there 
were,  in  all,  perhaps  a  dozen  Jewish  children  in  San 
Francisco.  Louis  Cohn,  one  of  the  best  known  and 
one  of  the  most  prominent  members  of  the  Congrega- 
tion, founded  the  first  religious  class,  and  took  pleasure 
and  delight  in  teaching  the  little  ones.  In  185 1  the  number 
had  materially  increased,  and  the  want  of  a  religious  teacher  was  felt. 
During  this  and  the  succeeding  years  Hazan  Meyer  Welhof  took  great 
pride  in  teaching  Hebrew  and  religion  without  remuneration;  though 
there  was  no  organized  religious  school  until  the  advent  of  Dr.  Eck- 
man.  When  that  gentleman  arrived,  on  July  1,  1854,  ne  was  imme- 
diately requested  to  take  charge  of  the  educational  interests  of  the 
community.  A  convention  of  Israelites,  regardless  of  congregational 
affiliations,  was  held,  and  it  was  concluded  to  give  Dr.  Eckman  every 
possible  moral  and  educational  support,  both  congregations  agreeing 
to  assist  the  school  with  a  subsidy.  This  institution  developed  into 
Dr.  Eckman's  Hepzibah*  Dr.  Eckman's  school  was  for  a  number 
of  years  the  sole  educational  representative  of  the  Jewish  Commu- 
nity. He  continued  it  after  his  election  as  Rabbi  of  the  Congrega- 
tion, and  for  many  years  after  his  withdrawal.  A  large  number  of 
our  leading  Jewish  citizens  have  been  privileged  to  benefit  by  Dr. 
Eckman's  instruction.  The  following  graphic  description  of  "  Hep- 
zibah  "  and  the  later  Emanu-El  school  is  from  the  pen  of  Mrs.  Mary 
Prag,  Principal  of  the  History  Department  of  the  Girls'  High  School, 
and  herself  an  eminent  teacher  of  religion,  having  served  on  the 
staff  of  the  Emanu-El  Religious  School  for  an  uninterrupted  period 
of  twenty-eight  years : 

"  Twenty-eight  years,  over  a  quarter  of  a  century, — more  than  half 
a  lifetime  of  service — slowly  unrolls  the  panorama  of  those  years; 
class  after  class  passes  in  review.     One  after  another  the  bright  faces 


*  With  reference  to  Isaiah,  62:4. 


JACOB  GREENEBAlM, 
Vice-President   of  the  Temple    Emami-El. 


I.IPPMANN    SACHS, 
Treasurer  of  the  Temple  Emanu-El. 


HENRY   WANGENHEIM. 
Secretary  of  the  Temple  Emanu-El. 


HON.    H'l.irs    JACOBS 


SIMox   SILVERBERG,    ESQ 


S.  W.  ROSENSTOCK,  ESQ. 


I 


w 


JOSEPH    NAPHTALY,    ESQ. 


SIMON    NEWMAN,    ESQ  PHILIP   LIPP1TT,    ESQ 

SIX  MEMBERS  OF    THE  THE  BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS  OF  THE  TEMPLE  EMANU-EL. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  /jj 

come  and  go;  boys  and  girls  full  of  fun  and  frolic,  full  of  an  eager 
desire  for  knowledge,  or  perchance  of  mischief;  jolly,  pleasant, 
happy,  studious.  Each  one  of  them  brings  to  remembrance  some 
particular  incident,  recalls  some  happy  episode. 

"  What  has  become  of  all  these  children?  Where  are  they?  What 
are  they  doing?  Into  what  have  they  developed  and  grown?  How 
man}'  of  them  are  to-day  the  staid  fathers  and  mothers  of  our  com- 
munity? How  many  are  there  in  our  midst  to-day?  Who  can  go 
back  with  me  to  my  first  recollection  of  the  Sabbath  school  of  the 
Temple  Emanu-El?  For  my  personal  connection  with  that  Sabbath 
school  dates  further  back  than  merely  twenty-eight  years  ago. 

"Away  back  in-  the  early  fifties,  I  see  myself,  a  little  girl,  going  to 
my  first  Sabbath  school — a  Sabbath  school  which  was  the  mother  of 
the  Religious  school  which  is  held  in  our  magnificent  Temple  at 
present.  That  Sabbath  school  did  not  meet  in  a  regular  Synagogue, 
for  in  those  days  the  Congregation  had  as  yet  no  building  of  its  own, 
but  the  services  were  held  in  what  had  been  a  private  house  on  Green 
street,  corner  of  Stockton.  The  upper  rooms  had  been  thrown  into 
one,  and  were  used  as  a  place  of  worship  in  the  morning  and  as  a 
Sabbath  schoolroom  on  Saturday  afternoon.  So,  I  see  myself  going 
there  with  my  hand  tightly  clasped  in  that  of  him  who  had  just  been 
elected  Rabbi  of  the  Congregation.  One  of  the  gentlest,  truest, 
noblest  characters  it  has  been  my  fate  in  life  to  meet.  One  whose 
every  deed  was  Charity,  and  every  thought  was  Mercy.  One  who 
left  his  impress  upon  the  hearts  and  souls  of  all  to  whom  was  given 
the  blessing  of  knowing  him — Dr.  Julius  Eckman — the  first  Rabbi  of 
the  Temple  Emanu-El. 

"  The  Sabbath  school  was  under  the  direction  and  instruction  of  a 
corps  of  volunteer  teachers,  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  Congregation. 
Mr.  Labatt  was  Superintendent,  and  among  the  most  valued  of  the 
teachers  was  our  dear  departed  friend,  Leon  L.  Dennery,  who  later 
was  for  so  many  years  the  enthusiastic  and  earnest  Chairman  of  the 
School  Board  of  our  present  Religious  school.  In  the  meanwhile, 
the  Congregation  was  busily  engaged  in  the  erection  of  its  Synagogue 
on  Broadway,  above  Powell,  and  when  the  Synagogue  was  dedicated 
the  Sabbath  school  had  its  home  in  the  basement.  As  long  as  Dr. 
Eckman  remained  Rabbi  of  the  Congregation  the  Sabbath  school  was 


ij4  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

held  there;  on  his  severing  his  connection  the  greater  number  of  the 
pupils  (so  had  he  endeared  himself  to  the  hearts  of  the  children),  went 
with  him  regardless  of  the  fact  that  the  fathers  of  many  of  them  were 
the  leading  men  of  the  Congregation. 

"  Those  children  followed  their  dearly  beloved  teacher  to  the  old 
"  Portsmouth  House,"  northeast  of  Clay  and  Dupont  streets.  In  this 
building  had  been  located  the  first  postoffice  in  San  Francisco, 
but  when  the  postoffice  was  moved  to  its  present  location  the  old 
building  was  given  over  to  other  tenants.  There  was  a  drug  store  at 
the  corner,  while  the  upper  rooms  were  rented  out  to  stray  roomers. 
It  was  a  ramshackle,  weird  old  building,  falling  into  decay;  full  of 
strange  noises  and  haunted  corners;  its  hall  and  stairways  unsvvept, 
and  decorated  with  cobwebs  and  dust.  There  we  appeared  every 
afternoon,  after  our  daily  school  hours,  for  our  Hebrew  lessons,  and 
on  Saturday  and  Sunday  mornings  for  religious  instruction.  How  we 
waited  for  each  other  at  the  corner,  how  slowly  we  ascended  the 
rickety  old  stairs,  one  holding  on  to  the  other,  how  we  held  our 
breath  and  shivered  with  fear  as  we  heard  the  rats,  the  only  occupants 
besides  ourselves  of  the  old  building,  scurrying  across  the  rafters; 
how  we  finally  made  a  rush  for  the  door  of  the  room,  to  be  welcomed 
by  our  dear  old  friend ;  to  forget  all  our  fears  and  troubles  in  the 
charm  of  his  presence  and  the  magic  of  his  instruction. 

"From  the  old  Portsmouth  House  we  followed  our  teacher  to  his 
editorial  rooms.  He  was  the  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  first  Jewish 
periodical  on  this  Coast,  "The  Gleaner."  How  we  enjoyed  our  new 
quarters.  What  a  sense  of  proprietorship  we  felt  in  every  part  of  the 
establishment;  how  we  watched  the  typesetters ;  what  an  interest  we 
took  in  the  hand  printing  press.  What  words  of  wisdom  and  of 
knowledge  we  gathered  in  his  sanctum,  which  was  now  our  school- 
room. 

"Soon  our  numbers  outgrew  these  rooms  and  the  little  German 
church  on  Sutter  street  below  Stockton  having  become  vacant,  the 
premises  were  rented  for  us  through  the  generosity  of  some  of  the 
prominent  men  of  the  Temple  Emanu-El  whose  interest  and  sym- 
pathy had  followed  us  in  all  our  wanderings;  and  so;  at  last,  we 
had  a  permanent  habitation  and  a  name;  thus  was  established  the 
Hepzibah  Religious  School. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  135 

"Oh  the  joy  and  pleasure  of  those  dear  old  days!  How  we  loved 
our  school,  how  eagerly  we  hastened  there  every  afternoon.  How 
anxiously  we  looked  forward  to  our  Sabbath  afternoon  services 
which  were  regularly  held  there,  and  in  which  we  officiated,  where 
with  all  our  souls  we  sang  our  "Shemah  Yisroel"  and  "Enkelohenu," 
our  dear  Master  seated  at  the  organ,  and  then,  how  we  enjoyed  the 
feast  of  cake  and  fruit  which  was  sure  to  follow  if  we  had  done  well. 
No  matinees  for  us;   we  had  jollier  times. 

"  There,  in  that  dear  old  school,  I  stepped  from  student  to  teacher, 
and  became  the  voluntary  assistant  of  our  beloved  Master.  Gone  is 
the  old  Sabbath  school  and  at  rest  is  the  dear  old  Master.  Sacred 
is  his  memory  to  us,  his  children,  enshrined  in  our  inmost  hearts. 

"  In  the  meantime  the  Temple  Emanu-El  had  secured  the  services 
of  that  cultured,  true  gentleman,  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn,  and  under  his 
fostering  care  had  reared  another  religious  school.  Years  rolled  on, 
time  brought  its  many  changes,  and  it  was  found  necessary  to  make 
a  life  pursuit  of  that  which  had  been  undertaken  as  a  pleasure.  In 
response  to  an  urgent  request  from  Dr.  Cohn  and  Mr.  L.  M.  Cahn, 
Chairman  of  the  School  Board,  a  position  as  teacher  in  the  religious 
school  of  Temple  Emanu-El  was  accepted,  and  on  October  22,  1871, 
I  was  elected  and  entered  upon  my  duties. 

"  The  history  of  the  Religious  School  is  a  vital  part  of  the  history 
of  the  Temple  Emanu-El.  Its  graduates  are  the  strength  of  its  Con- 
gregation.    May  God's  blessing  rest  upon  both." 

The  withdrawal  of  Dr.  Eckman  practically  depleted  the  Congre- 
gational school.  The  appointment  of  the  Rev.  II.  M.  Bien,  however, 
infused  new  life  into  it,  and  we  have  the  testimony  of  President 
Bloomingdale  (see  page  52)  that  this  gentleman  labored  zealously  in 
its  behalf.  The  subsequent  appointment  of  Mr.  Daniel  Levy  as 
Teacher  of  the  Congregation  fixed  the  status  of  the  school  as  one  of 
the  leading  educational  institutions  of  the  city.  Mr.  Levy  was  a  com- 
petent educator,  who  conducted  a  day  school  in  connection  with  the 
religious  school,  and  amongst  the  earliest  teachers  of  the  latter  was 
Miss  Rose  Levison.  Beginning  with  1858,  the  gradually  increasing 
number  of  pupils  induced  the  Congregation  to  appoint  a  Board  of 
Education,  composed  of  nine  members,  in  after  years  reduced  to 
five;  and  to  endow  the  school  with  an  annual  subsidy,  which  at  one 
time  was  as  high  as  four  thousand  dollars. 


ij6  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

Since  its  foundation,  the  Emanu-El  religious  school  has  been 
practically  a  free  school.  So  far  as  its  applicants  were  concerned, 
the  qualifications  of  membership  were  never  rigidly  looked  into.  The 
Congregation's  generous  subsidies  enabled  the  Board  of  Education  to 
extend  the  privileges  of  teaching  to  a  large  number  of  poor  children} 
with  the  result  that  the  School  became,  numerically,  the  leading 
religious  institute  of  San  Francisco.  This  tradition  of  an  "  open  " 
School  is  maintained  until  this  day.  Parents  whose  limited  means 
prevent  them  from  paying  the  taxes  imposed  upon  membership  need 
not  hesitate  a  moment.     Their  children  are  most  heartily  welcome. 

In  organizing  the  Board  of  Education,  the  Congregation  has  always 
been  fortunate  to  command  the  services  of  intelligent  and  educated 
gentlemen,  who  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  progress  of  the  School. 
One  of  the  main  features  of  the  permanent  success  of  the  institution 
has  been  this  unwavering  devotion  and  careful  management  on  the  part 
of  the  laity.  Connected  with  the  work  of  a  generation  are  the  names 
of  H.  J.  Labatt,  Seixas  Solomons,  Emanuel  Wertheimer,  Leopold 
Tichener,  L.  M.  Cahn,  and  L.  L.  Dennery.  It  is  especially  to  Lazard 
M.  Cahn  that  the  Sabbath  school  of  Emanuel  was  indebted  for  its  high 
degree  of  efficiency.  Himself  a  man  of  education,  trained  in  French 
schools,  this  pious  and  progressive  gentleman  devoted  many  years  of  his 
life  to  the  development  of  the  educational  interests  of  the  Jewish  com- 
munity of  San  Francisco.  Highly  imbued  as  he  was  with  an  ambition 
to  introduce  the  latest  and  best  methods  of  teaching  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  School,  Lazard  Cahn,  nevertheless,  put  the  greatest 
stress  on  the  qualitative  character  of  the  information  to  be  imparted 
to  Jewish  pupils.  During  his  time  the  efficient  work  of  the  School 
attracted  many  pupils,  and  between  1870  and  1880  as  many  as  404 
were  registered  in  one  year.  He  died  July  5,  1886,  mourned  by 
the  community,  amongst  whom  were  so  many  whose  true  friend 
he  had  been  in  their  childhood,  and  was  succeeded  by  Leon  L. 
Dennery,  whose  identification  with  the  religious  interests  of  the  com- 
munity dated  from  1854.  During  Dennery's  administration  a  thor- 
ough reorganization  of  the  School  was  effected.  Old-time  teachers 
were  retired,  and  a  rule  established  that,  so  far  as  possible,  the 
teachers  of  the  Religious  School  should  be  in  possession  of  educa- 
tional   certificates.     The    classes  were    graded    and    a   seven   years' 


r 


RAPHAEL   PEIXOTTO, 
President   of  Temple   Emanu-El. 


THE  REV.  DR.  JACOB   VOOR SANGER, 
Rabbi   of   Temple   Emanu-El. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  137 

course  of  instruction  introduced.  After  Dennery's  death  Raphael 
Peixotto  held  the  chairmanship  until  his  elevation  to  the  Presidency 
of  the  Congregation,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Philip  Lippitt,  for- 
merly Secretary  of  the  Board  and  the  present  Chairman  of  the 
Standing  Committee  on  Education. 

The  close  relationship  between  the  School  and  the  Congregation 
found  its  highest  expression,  some  few  years  ago,  by  a  measure, 
introduced  by  President  Peixotto,  whereby  the  Board  of  Education 
was  absorbed  in  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  in  its  place  a  constitu- 
tional Standing  Committee  on  Education,  composed  of  five  members, 
appointed.  This  Committee,  now  composed  of  Messrs.  Ph.  Lippitt, 
Chairman,  Julius  Jacobs,  Jacob  Greenebaum,  Simon  Newman,  and 
Abraham  Anspacher,  represents  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  in  all 
respects  endeavors  to  maintain  a  high  degree  of  efficiency.  To  the 
Chairman,  Philip  Lippitt,  is  due  the  initiative  to  many  measures 
whereby  religious  education  is  constantly  brought  in  closer  contact 
with  the  spirit  of  the  times.  It  was  mainly  through  his  efforts  that 
the  children's  services  were  permanently  introduced,  and  he  has 
furnished  the  inspiration  to  a  publication  of  sixteen  services  now 
regularly  used  in  the  School. 

The  present  School  numbers  nearly  three  hundred  children, 
divided  into  seven  classes,  besides  a  post-graduate  class,  and  the 
annual  confirmation  class.  The  ceremony  of  public  confirmation  was 
introduced  by  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn  in  1861,  since  which  time  nearly  one 
thousand  pupils  have  been  confirmed,  representing  a  little  army  of 
men  and  women,  of  whom  a  large  number  are  now  enrolled  in  the 
membership  of  the  Congregation.  In  point  of  fact,  the  third  genera- 
tion is  now  on  the  school  benches.  May  it  be  God's  gracious  will 
that  these  children,  too,  may  graduate  from  our  beloved  School, 
animated  with  the  same  noble  impulses  as  moved  their  parents  and 
grandparents  to  foster  and  maintain  the  strength  of  our  Emanu-El 
Congregation! 


VI. 

CEMETERIES. 


ARLY  in  the  year  1850  Emanuel  Hart,  a  native  of  Holland, 
and  a  "forty-niner,"  presented  the  Jewish  Communy  of 
San  Francisco  with  two  "fifty  vara"  lots,  situated  at  the 
intersection  of  Vallejo  and  Gough  Streets,  close  to  the 
United  States  military  reservation  and  in  his  deed  of  gift 
specially  provided  that  the  grounds  should  be  reserved  as  a 
place  of  burial  for  "  the  Jews  of  San  Francisco."  So  far  as  now 
known,  the  first  Hebrew  whose  remains  were  interred  in  the  conse- 
crated grounds  was  named  Johnson,  reputed  to  have  been  a  brother 
of  the  late  Edgar  M.  Johnson,  the  noted  lawyer  of  Cincinnati,  later 
of  New  York. 

The  rapid  increase  of  the  Jewish  community,  between  1850  and 
i860,  rendered  the  purchase  of  other  grounds  an  absolute  necessity. 
Joint  committees  from  the  Emanu-El  and  Sherith  Israel  congrega- 
tions cared  for  the  Hart  Cemetery,  but  already  in  1854  reports  were 
made  to  both  congregations  concerning  the  cramped  condition  of 
the  grounds.  Several  attempts  were  made  to  induce  the  two  con- 
gregations to  purchase  land  for  a  communal  cemetery,  without  any 
perceptible  effect. 

In  i860,  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  and  the  Eureka  Benevolent 
Society  made  joint  purchase  of  Block  86  in  the  Mission  Dolores, 
which  was  named  the  "Home  of  Peace"  Cemetery.  Adjoining,  the 
Sherith  Israel  acquired  similar  grounds,  which  became  the  "Hills  of 
Eternity"  Cemetery.  To  facilitate  the  administration  of  the  grounds 
both  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  and  the  Eureka  Benevolent  Society 
consented  to  the  organization  of  the  "Home  of  Peace  Cemetery  Asso- 
ciation," which  subsequently  incorporated,  and  with  which  the  name 
of  its  President,  David  Stern,  is  inseparably  connected.  The  "Home 
of  Peace"  Cemetery  was  consecrated  on  July  25,  i860,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  large  concourse  of  people,  who  had  considerable  difficulty 
in  reaching  the  grounds,  the  sole  tramway  to  the  Mission  having  just 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  /jo 

been  opened.  The  dedicatory  exercises  were  opened  with  a  prayer 
by  Dr.  Eckman,  and  the  reading  of  Psalms  by  the  Rev.  H.  A.  Henry 
of  the  Sherith  Israel.  President  Henry  Seligman  gave  an  address, 
and  handed  the  keys  to  August  Helbing,  Esq.,  the  founder  and 
President  of  the  Eureka  Benevolent  Society.  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn,  who 
had  but  recently  arrived,  made  the  closing  remarks  and  gave  the 
benediction. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Temple  Emanu-El,  held  October  3, 
1886,  President  Martin  Heller  reported  the  necessity  of  acquiring 
larger  accommodations  for  the  suitable  interment  of  the  dead.  After 
the  lapse  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  community  had  grown  to 
dimensions  that  rendered  the  Eighteenth  street  cemetery  wholly  inad- 
equate for  its  original  purposes.  Around  the  sacred  grounds  a  popu- 
lous city  had  arisen,  and  the  matter  of  continuing  to  inter  the  dead  in 
the  heart  of  the  city  became  a  subject  of  the  gravest  discussion.  An 
ordinance  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  forestalling  possible  action  by 
the  Jewish  Congregations,  demanded  the  close  of  the  cemetery  on 
January  1,  1889.  Responding  to  the  suggestions  of  the  President, 
a  committee  of  five  was  appointed,  consisting  of  Louis  Sachs,  Eman- 
uel Wertheimer,  Jules  Cerf,  David  Stern  and  Julius  Jacobs,  to  inau- 
gurate proceedings  for  the  acquisition  of  new  and  more  extensive 
grounds.  This  committee  speedily  reported  the  purchase  of  a  large 
tract  of  land  containing  seventy-three  and  one-half  acres,  ten  miles 
from  San  Francisco,  in  San  Mateo  County,  in  an  exceedingly  pictur- 
esque locality,  and  at  the  ensuing  annual  meeting  the  purchase  was 
ratified  by  the  Congregation.  The  cost  of  acquisition  was  $350  per 
acre  or  $25,725.  On  May  28,  1888,  twenty  acres  of  this  tract,  at  the 
original  cost,  were  sold  to  the  Sherith  Israel  Congregation.  An 
agreement  was  made  between  both  congregations  for  the  joint  build- 
ing of  a  mortuary  chapel,  to  be  situated  at  the  head  of  a  broad  avenue, 
in  the  center  of  which  is  the  dividing  line  between  the  two  cemeteries, 
so  that  the  grounds  should  consist  of  two  tracts  of  twenty  acres  each, 
running  from  the  county  road  to  the  foothills,  and  the  whole  appear 
as  if  it  were  but  one  cemetery.  The  remaining  thirty-three  and  one- 
half  acres  were  reserved  by  the  Congregation  for  the  distant  future. 

On  Thanksgiving  Day,  1888,  Emanu-El  and  Sherith  Israel  joined 
in  laying  the  corner-stone  of  the  mortuary  chapel  and  consecrating  the 


T4°  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

new  grounds.  In  the  presence  of  a  large  multitude,  brought  out  in 
special  trains,  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn  laid  the  stone,  with  a  sweet  expression 
of  hope  that  Providence  would  safeguard  the  community  for  a  long 
time  to  come,  from  losses  the  inevitable  character  of  which  was  sug- 
gested by  the  ceremony  in  which  the  community  was  then  engaged. 
The  Rabbi  of  Sherith  Israel  Congregation  gave  the  dedicatory  prayer, 
and  Dr.  Jacob  Voorsanger  presented  the  address.  On  January  i, 
1889,  the  grounds  were  opened  for  their  destined  purpose,  and 
amongst  the  very  first  to  rest  in  the  flowered  soil  of  the  new  Home  of 
Peace  was  the  gentle  shepherd  himself,  Elkan  Cohn,  priest  of  the 
living  God,  and  a  lover  of  all  his  people. 

The  beauty  of  the  new  Home  of  Peace  Cemetery  is  now  proverbial 
in  California  and  far  beyond  the  State's  borders.  It  was  the  foresight 
of  Martin  Heller  that  pointed  out  its  location;  it  was  his  loving  care 
that  converted  the  heath  into  a  veritable  garden  spot.  Great  as  was 
his  sagacious  administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  Congregation,  still 
greater,  far  more  beautiful,  was  the  daily  sacrifice  he  made  to  render 
this  resting  place  a  spot  to  which  pilgrims  should  turn  without  a  sense 
of  pain,  a  spot  where  the  weary  and  the  heavy-laden  should  learn  a 
lesson  from  mother-earth's  beauty  that  rest  was  sweet,  and  God's 
goodness  eternal.  We  must  never  forget  Martin  Heller's  labors  in  this 
great  work.  Our  Home  of  Peace  is  his  memorial.  And  with  his 
name  we  couple  one  other,  the  name  of  one  whose  memory  lingers 
most  affectionately  in  our  hearts,  that  of  a  noble  man  who,  under 
Martin  Heller's  directions,  took  care  of  the  removal  of  the  dead  from 
the  old  to  the  new  cemetery — the  removal  of  more  than  fifteen 
hundred  bodies,  involving  the  most  delicate  and  painstaking  labor 
—the  name  of  our  dearly  beloved  SAMUEL  ROSENER,  now, 
alas!  also  gone  to  his  rest,  lamented,  yet  lovingly  remembered. 
Let  the  closing  lines  of  this  chapter  be  his,  for  among  all  the  true 
servants  of  Emanu-El  he  deserves  the  most  gracious  testimony  and 
a  grateful  inscription  that  his  heart  was  true  and  tender,  his  service 
most  loyal,  and  that,  as  long  as  memory  lasts,  his  name  will  not 
disappear  from  our  midst.  Ah,  how  many  true  men  and  women 
have  found  their  rest  in  these  hallowed  grounds !  May  their  memory 
stir  us  to  an  ever-increasing  service  to  the  living,  whilst  we  pray 
God  to  hallow  the  rest  of  the  dead ! 


a 


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3_ 

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3 


VII. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


JULIUS  ECKMAN. 

N  T I  L  1854  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  experienced 
great  difficulty  in  securing  a  Rabbi,  under  whose  guid- 
ance it  could  assume  its  destined  place  amongst  the 
growing  German-Jewish  Congregations  of  America.  On 
the  first  day  of  the  month  of  July  of  that  year  a  gentleman 
arrived  in  the  young  City  of  San  Francisco,  who,  almost  from 
the  moment  of  his  advent,  impressed  his  co-religionists  and  fellow 
citizens  with  the  singular  beauty  of  his  character.  He  came 
with  messages  from  the  Rev.  James  K.  Gutheim,  then  already  resident 
in  New  Orleans,  an  eloquent  preacher  who  had  been  compelled  to 
decline  the  honor  of  an  election  as  the  first  Rabbi  of  Emanu-El. 
Rabbi  Gutheim's  introductions  and  his  own  impressive  personality 
secured  Dr.  Julius  Eckman  a  hearty  welcome,  and  not  long  after- 
wards he  presided  at  the  laying  of  the  corner-stones  of  the  Broadway 
and  Stockton  Street  Synagogues.  Upon  the  expiration  of  the  fall 
holidays  Dr.  Eckman  was  unanimously  called  to  the  pulpit  of  the 
Emanu-El  Congregation.  Brief  as  was  his  career  in  the  latter  ser- 
vice— he  withdrew  before  the  next  ensuing  annual  election — the  great- 
est part  of  the  life  remaining  to  this  remarkable  man  was  spent  in  San 
Francisco,  and  his  long  and  close  identification  with  the  progress  of  our 
religious  and  educational  interests  in  this  city  and  on  this  coast,  as 
well  as  the  eminent  position  he  occupied  in  the  world  of  letters,  fully 
justify  the  presentation  in  these  pages  of  a  life,  that  because  of  its 
extreme  modesty  and  simplicity,  its  unselfishness  and  consecration  to 
duty,  should  be  rescued  from  oblivion  so  that  coming  generations 
may  know  how  strong  were  the  pillars  whereupon  Emanu-El  had  cast 
its  enduring  foundations. 

Julius  Eckman  was  born  in  1805  in  the  town  of  Rawicz,  in  the 
Duchy  of  Posen.  Nothing  is  known  to  the  writer  of  his  early  child- 
hood.     It  may  be  assumed  that  his  inclination  for  study,  which  was 


142  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

one  of  his  greatest  virtues,  was  an  inheritance  from  the  paternal 
home;  for  in  those  early  days  the  Jewish  home  was  rarely  without 
its  resident  teacher,  nor  its  daily  suggestions  of  culture  and  knowl- 
edge. It  seems,  however,  that  his  parents  had  intended  him  for  a 
mercantile  career.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  was  sent  to  London  to 
acquire  a  knowledge  of  business  in  the  establishment  of  a  relative, 
and  he  remained  for  three  years  in  the  British  metropolis.  Those 
who  knew  Dr.  Eckman  in  after  years  will  readily  understand  that 
even  this  long  apprenticeship  confirmed  no  taste  in  him  for  commer- 
cial affairs.  His  own  testimony,  given  afterwards  to  his  friends,  was 
that  the  three  unhappiest  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  London  trying 
to  learn  "business'' ;  that  his  soul  cried  out  for  knowledge;  that  he 
felt  miserable  at  the  thought  of  having  no  time  to  engage  in  study. 
Eckman  was  not  made  of  the  stuff  of  merchants.  Most  probably,  if 
the  experiences  of  his  later  years  may  be  taken  as  a  guide,  he  was  a 
timid,  dreamy  youth,  always  reading,  studying  and  meditating,  ill 
fitted  for  a  life  behind  the  counter  or  an  active  struggle  with  men. 
Accordingly,  at  the  expiration  of  three  years  we  find  him  returning  to 
Berlin,  the  stamping-ground  of  poor  Jewish  students,  the  home  of 
struggling  aspirants  for  knowledge,  the  cradle  of  the  great  movement 
that  sent  men  like  Eckman  into  the  world.  Poor,  unknown,  and 
affrighted  by  the  privations  of  his  fellow  students,  Eckman  neverthe- 
less determined  to  persevere.  His  subsequent  active  life  proved  the 
efficacy  of  his  Berlin  training.  He  always  remained  an  enemy  to 
luxury,  until  the  simplicity  of  his  habits  of  life  became  proverbial 
amongst  his  friends.  In  two  years  this  indefatigable  student  suc- 
ceeded in  gaining  the  requisite  knowledge  that  enabled  him  to  pass 
entrance  examinations  at  the  University.  During  the  ensuing  years 
he  maintained  himself  by  private  teaching  and  occasional  small 
stipends  awarded  him  by  one  or  the  other  of  the  affluent  Jewish 
householders  of  Berlin.  Meanwhile  he  pursued  classical  studies  at 
the  University  and,  under  the  guidance  of  the  great  master  Zunz, 
prepared  himself  for  the  Rabbinical  office.  The  literary  world  of 
Berlin  attracted  him.  Content  with  a  bare  pittance,  unambitious 
and  eager  for  information,  he  was  in  no  hurry  to  enter  into  the  activ- 
ities of  his  chosen  profession.  Long  after  he  graduated  from  the 
University,  receiving  the   degree   of  Doctor  of  Philosophy,  and  for 


Chronicles    of    Emanu-El.  143 

years  after  the  Rabbinical  diploma  had  been  awarded  him,  Eckman, 
fascinated  by  the  interesting  phenomena  of  intellectual  life  in  the 
Prussian  residential  city,  remained  there,  a  quiet  on-looker,  but 
absorbing  knowledge,  attending  lectures,  frequenting  the  society  of 
Berlin's  great  Jewish  savants,  seemingly  indifferent  to  the  drift  and 
current  of  events.  Yet  he  was  no  mere  casual  observer.  He  care- 
fully noted  the  particulars  of  that  great  contention  then  engaging  the 
Jewish  Community  of  Berlin,  a  contention  for  the  right  of  Young 
Israel  to  identify  itself  with  the  world,  not  to  remain  hidden  in  the 
gloom  of  its  mediaeval  environments.  He  knew  the  men  of  the  pro- 
gressive party,  lived  amongst  them,  and  without  becoming  a  publicist 
himself,  contributed  out  of  his  own  great  store  of  knowledge  materi- 
als that  were  incorporated  in  the  polemical  literature  of  the  times. 

Doubtless  this  life  of  studious  and  literary  privacy  suited  Eckman. 
He  was  a  gentle  student,  interested  in  learning  and  teaching.  Always 
somewhat  of  a  recluse,  the  successes  of  many  of  his  fellow  students 
offered  him  no  temptation.  If  he  could  earn  a  modest  competency 
by  teaching,  rummage  amongst  old  books,  and  be  permitted  to  sit  in 
a  quiet  nook,  whilst  great  men  broke  intellectual  lances  with  each 
other,  he  was  quite  happy;  the  world  owed  him  nothing  else.  But 
such  men  can  not  escape  their  destiny.  The  old  and  affluent 
Jewish  congregation  at  Mobile  having  applied  for  an  English- 
speaking  Rabbi,  Eckman  was  urged  by  his  Berlin  friends  to  avail 
himself  of  his  masterful  knowledge  of  that  language  to  become 
one  of  the  leaders  of  Jewish  thought  in  America.  There  were,  at 
the  time,  perhaps  but  a  half  a  dozen  Rabbis  in  the  United  States  who 
could  competently  address  their  congregations  in  the  language  of  the 
country.  In  looking  at  the  facts  of  Eckman's  subsequent  career  one 
can  not  escape  the  conclusion  that  he  was  by  nature  and  disposition 
ill  fitted  for  the  contentious  career  of  an  American  Rabbi  half  a  cen- 
tury ago,  a  time  when  congregational  life  was  embryonic,  when  began 
the  great  warfare  of  reform,  that  in  its  beginnings  was  a  struggle  for 
organization  and  unit)',  and  demanded  more  rugged  leadership  than 
with  which  Eckman,  always  an  idealist  and  student,  was  endowed. 
However,  he  determined  to  come  to  the  United  States.  He  believed 
he  could  do  some  good.  With  this  generous  nature  the  question  of 
his  helpfulness  was  always  more  important  than  that  of  his  success. 


144  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

His  decision  to  accept  the  call  to  Mobile  was  based  upon  the  most 
generous  of  all  motives,  sacrifice.  He  knew  somewhat  of  the  diffi- 
culties that  attended  the  organization  of  Jewish  congregations  in 
America;  but,  idealist  that  he  was,  he  believed  he  could  encompass 
them  and  become  a  power  for  good  in  his  new  field  of  labor.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1846,  the  same  year  in  which  Isaac  M. 
Wise  landed  on  these  shores  to  begin  his  career  of  half  a  century's 
remarkable  labors.  Cordially  received  in  Mobile,  Eckman  proved 
unable  to  maintain  his  position. 

It  is  no  reflection  on  the  memory  of  this  pious  philanthropist  and 
distinguished  student  to  pass  correct,  though  considerate,  judgment 
on  the  fact  that  he  was  not  endowed  with  the  gifts  requisite  for  the 
practical  duties  of  the  American  Rabbinate.  Kind  and  gentle,  cul- 
tured to  the  highest  degree,  and  endowed  with  that  politcsse  that 
marks  the  born  gentleman,  he  was  not  fitted  for  the  rugged  environ- 
ments of  life  in  America  fifty  years  ago.  We  find  Dr.  Eckman, 
between  1846  and  1854,  officiating  in  various  Southern  communities, 
Mobile,  New  Orleans,  Richmond,  Charleston;  always  in  demand  as 
a  preacher,  because  he  was  a  complete. master  of  English,  yet  unable 
to  establish  a  permanent  field  of  labor  for  himself.  In  Richmond, 
during  his  brief  residence,  he  was  thrice  called  upon  to  open  the  Vir- 
ginia Legislature  with  prayer,  probably  the  first  instance  of  such  an 
honor  having  been  conferred  upon  a  Jewish  clergyman.  The  inci- 
dent would  tend  to  prove  the  existence  of  opportunities  for  the  devel- 
opment of  a  strong  Rabbinate  in  the  South.  But  evidently  Eckman 
felt  himself  unhappy.  Nowhere  he  seemed  able  to  establish  a  per- 
manent residence.  Was  it  because  of  the  unsettled  religious  condi- 
tions, or,  which  is  more  likely,  was  it  because  this  great  teacher  of 
children  had  felt  that  the  pulpit  was  not  the  natural  place  wherein  to 
exercise  his  abilities?  That  he  had  correct  views  regarding  the  exist- 
ing conditions  of  American  Judaism  and  the  methods  of  treating 
them  may  be  evidenced  from  a  statement  in  the  Gleaner  of  January, 
23,  1857,  wherein  he  says:  "In  the  momentary  crisis  through  which 
our  system  of  theology  is  now  passing,  we  shall  strive  to  pay  due  def- 
erence to  the  past,  without,  however,  ignoring  the  requirements  of 
the  present,  or  failing  to  provide  for  our  existence  in  the  future." 
With  such  a  splendid  program,  pointing,  by  active  teaching,  to  the 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  145 

restoration  of  the  unity  of  Israel's  spiritual  powers,  the  way  might 
have  seemed  clear  to  enlist  the  Southern  congregations  in  the  great 
work  of  regeneration,  begun,  before  Eckman's  time,  by  Isaac  Harby 
and  Gustavus  Posnanski  in  Charleston,  and  splendidly  continued  by 
James  K.  Gutheim  in  New  Orleans.  But  Eckman's  program,  so  far 
as  his  personal  activities  were  concerned,  was  to  be  tried  in  the  far 
West. 

The  archives  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El,  between  1850  and 
1854,  show  an  interesting  competition  for  the  honor  of  becoming  its 
first  Rabbi.  Learned  scholars  from  every  part  of  the  world  asked  to 
be  preferred,  and  the  Elders  of  the  new  Congregation  had  quite  a 
difficult  task  before  them.  The  choice  finally  fell  upon  James  K. 
Gutheim,  who  was  compelled  to  refuse  the  honor.  Unable  there- 
after to  decide  upon  a  leader,  the  advent  of  Julius  Eckman,  in  July, 
1854,  solved  the  difficulty.  Every  element  of  the  Jewish  community 
received  him  with  distinguished  salutation.  Letters  from  Gutheim 
had  prepared  the  Emanu-El  Congregation  for  his  coming,  and  it  was 
felt  at  the  time  that  Eckman,  with  his  thorough  training  and  refined 
personality,  was  just  the  man  to  steer  the  new  community  through 
the  difficult  shoals  it  had  encountered.  Immediately  called  (Resolu- 
tion of  Board  of  Trustees  of  E.  C,  July  5,  1854)  to  lay  the  corner- 
stones of  both  the  Broadway  and  Stockton  Street  Synagogues,  Dr. 
Eckman  was  elected  temporary  lecturer  to  the  Congregation 
Emanu-El,  and  as  such  officiated  during  the  September  holidays  in 
the  presence  of  unusually  large  audiences,  his  sermons  creating  the 
deepest  impression  upon  the  pioneers,  to  whom  the  use  of  vigorous 
English  by  a  German  Rabbi  was  a  new  and  pleasing  experience. 
Already,  before  his  election,  Eckman  had  engaged  in  a  work  with 
which  his  name  will  be  permanently  connected.  He  founded  a 
Religious  School  (July  26,  1864)  which,  for  a  time,  was  incorporated 
in  the  Religious  System  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El,  but  was 
afterwards  continued  by  Eckman  as  an  independent  organization. 
This  school,  his  beloved  Hepzi-bah,  was  first  located  at  184  Mont- 
gomery Street,  a  miserable  locality,  where  existed  but  the  barest 
accommodations  for  teaching.  In  after  years  a  contentious  journalist 
charged  Eckman  with  having  founded  this  school  for  purpose  of  gain, 
when    he    made    the  remarkable  statement   {Gleaner,  May   1,  1857) 


146  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

that  his  income  from  70  children  had  at  first  averaged  $43.00  per 
month;  but  that  from  September,  1855,  to  November,  1856,  during 
a  period  of  fourteen  months,  his  income  had  been  $500.00,  out  of 
which  he  had  bought  furniture,  paid  rent,  collection  fees,  had  bought 
books  for  his  children  —  and  lived!  But  we  anticipate  this  remark- 
able man's  story. 

The  Broadway  Synagogue  was  consecrated  by  Dr.  Eckman  on 
Thursday,  September  14,  1854.  After  the  fall  holidays,  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  Congregation  was  held  October  10th,  President 
Henry  Seligman  in  the  chair,  at  which  Dr.  Eckman  was  unanimously 
elected  Rabbi,  Reader  and  Teacher  to  the  Congregation  for  one 
year  at  a  salary  of  $2,000.00.  During  the  year  of  his  incumbency, 
he  had  difficult  problems  to  confront.  The  Congregation  was  poor 
and  in  debt.  In  our  present  prosperous  and  affluent  circumstances 
the  fact  that  in  1854  Emanu-El  was  compelled  to  borrow  $1,500.00 
"on  the  faith  of  the  Congregation"  presents  itself  as  interesting  evi- 
dence of  early  struggles  and  difficulty  to  maintain  itself.  Congrega- 
tional debts  always  beget  contention  and  Emanu-El  proved  no  excep- 
tion. The  Congregation  was  far  from  harmonious,  for  this  and  other 
reasons.  The  advent  of  a  strong,  energetic  as  well  as  learned  minister 
might  have  gone  far  to  adjust  the  difficulties  in  which  the  Congrega- 
tion was  involved,  but  Eckman  who  was  learned,  energetic  and  refined 
lacked  those  more  rugged  qualities  of  strength  that  at  that  critical 
time  were  prerequisite.  The  question  of  the  Congregation's  financial 
obligations  might  have  been  easily  solved  by  such  experienced  finan- 
ciers as  Henry  Seligman,  but  there  were  other  problems,  affecting 
the  religious  unity  of  Emanu-El,  with  which  Eckman  found  it  difficult 
to  cope.  Conservative  by  nature  and  temperament,  yet  alive  to  the 
problems  of  the  period  and  the  peculiar  character  of  his  environ- 
ments, Eckman  sought  to  perpetuate  the  absolute  authority  of  the 
Rabbi  in  all  questions  affecting  religious  discipline,  believing  that  by 
assuming  such  uncompromising  attitude  he  could  best  preserve  the 
religious  interests  of  the  community.  Barely  two  months  after  his 
induction  into  office  the  struggle  between  him  and  the  Elders  of 
Emanu-El  began.  Universally  respected,  even  by  his  opponents,  for 
the  singular  purity  of  his  character,  it  was  felt  nevertheless  that  his 
attitude  in  the  Shehita  question  had  raised  a  barrier  between  him  and 


Chronicles    of    Emanu-El.  147 

the  Congregation  which  made  the  continuance  of  its  confidence  an 
impossible  fact.  The  Congregation,  at  that  time,  still  retained  two 
official  Shohctim  or  ritual  slaughterers,  whose  license  was  renewed 
from  year  to  year,  subject  to  an  examination  by  a  congregational 
committee.  After  the  advent  of  Dr.  Eckman  all  the  Shohctim  of  the 
city,  to  the  number  of  five  or  six  had  presented  themselves  before 
the  Rabbi  for  examination.  Two  of  the  number  were  appointed 
Shohctim  for  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  upon  condition  that  they 
would  appear  before  the  Congregational  Committee  for  the  renewal 
of  their  licenses.  One  of  them,  refusing  to  appear,  his  license  was 
rescinded,  and  public  notice  thereof  given  to  the  people.  Dr.  Eck- 
man, who  probably  felt  his  authority  imperiled  by  this  notice, 
appeared  in  public  print  {Daily  Herald,  Dec.  20,  1854)  with  a  flat 
denial  of  the  Congregation's  right  to  either  issue  or  rescind  licenses 
to  Shohctim  and  specially  intimated  that  the  person  who  was  retained 
by  the  Congregational  Committee  of  Emanu-El  was  not  fitted  by 
education  for  the  performance  of  his  duties.  After  these  many  years, 
when  nearly  all  the  contestants  in  this  unseemly  struggle  have  gone 
to  their  long  home,  the  action  of  the  refined,  peace-loving  Eckman 
seems  inexplicable.  It  can  only  be  accounted  for  on  the  ground  that 
he  felt  his  authority  imperiled.  It  is  known,  besides,  that  there  had 
been  considerable  friction  between  the  two  leading  Jewish  con- 
gregations of  the  city,  and  that  in  the  adjudication  of  differences 
between  them  Eckman  did  not  exercise  that  diplomacy  that  would 
easily  solve  problems  of  a  non-essential  character.  So  he  fell  victim 
to  contentions  which  to-day  are  not  suffered  to  arise,  and  his  career 
was  endangered  by  an  attitude  that  honors  his  conscience  as  a  spir- 
itual guide,  but  set  him  at  variance  with  the  men  who  had  engaged 
his  services.  The  Congregational  meeting  of  December  24,  1854 
took  official  notice  of  Rabbi  Eckman's  published  utterances  in  the 
Shehita  question,  and  a  committee,  in  strong  resolutions,  suggested 
"that  the  Congregation  felt  confident  that  the  course  taken  by  Dr. 
Eckman  will  sever  the  harmonious  bonds  of  the  Congregation  as  long 
as  he  continues  to  preside  in  their  House  of  Worship,  and  therefore 
it  would  be  for  the  welfare  of  the  Congregation  if  he  would  resign 
from  the  Ministry."  Happily,  for  the  dignity  of  the  Congregation 
Emanu-El  it  may  be  stated  that  this  resolution  did  not  pass,  but  the 


148  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

meeting  adopted  as  its  own  the  strong  preamble  wherein  Dr.  Eckman 
was  charged  to  have  exceeded  his  authority  as  the  Minister  of  the 
Congregation.  The  whole  matter  was  unfortunate  in  the  extreme. 
It  created  a  feeling  amongst  the  members  of  Emanu-El  that  they  had 
not  been  successful  in  the  selection  of  a  permanent  guide.  Such 
men  as  Henry  Seligman,  L.  Tichener,  E.  M.  Berg,  Samuel  Marx, 
Louis  Cohn  and  A.  C.  Labatt,  then  at  the  helm  of  congregational 
affairs,  kindly  disposed  as  they  necessarily  must  have  been  towards 
the  gentle,  modest  Rabbi,  whose  error  towards  them  was  one  of 
vacillation  rather  than  of  inimical  aggressiveness,  nevertheless  realized 
that  the  unfortunate  differences  in  the  Shchita  question  had  made  Dr. 
Eckman's  continuance  in  office  an  impossibility.  And  so  it  proved. 
At  the  ensuing  annual  election,  September  30,  1855,  Hazan  Welhof 
received  a  majority  of  votes  and  Dr.  Eckman's  Ministry  in  Emanu-El 
came  to  an  end.  But  even  then  his  blessed  work  on  this  Coast  only 
commenced.  Freed  from  bonds,  which  he  then  realized  he  should 
never  have  contracted,  he  set  about  for  the  realization  of  his  cher- 
ished ideals.  Eckman,  with  boundless  faith  in  the  future  of  American 
Israel,  deplored  the  lack  of  spirit  and  interest  that  characterized  his 
own  time.  Regarding  his  mission  to  the  Jews  of  the  Pacific  Coast 
by  no  means  at  an  end,  he  continued  to  teach  the  children  of  the 
poor,  whom  he,  having  no  other  ties,  made  the  children  of  his  affec- 
tion. Hefzibah  became  the  passion  of  his  life.  The  men  and  women 
of  our  own  time,  who  were  Eckman's  pupils,  still  speak  of  him  with 
boundless  veneration.  He  was  father,  teacher  and  companion  to 
his  children.  It  mattered  nothing  whether  the  poor  could  not  or  the 
rich  would  not  pay  the  monthly  stipend.  All  were  welcome,  all  felt 
the  benign  influence  of  this  man's  wondrous  affection  for  children, 
which  was  the  scholar's  greatest  virtue.  Careless  in  the  extreme  in 
matters  financial,  he  often  lacked  the  means  wherewith  to  continue 
his  beloved  Hcpzibah.  Then  he  would  appeal  to  the  affluent  mem- 
bers of  the  community  for  help.  "I  want  nothing  for  myself,"  he 
once  pathetically  said,  "the  loaf  of  bread  and  crucible  of  water  suffice 
for  my  necessities.  But  my  children  need  the  bread  of  life  and  must 
not  go  hungry."  Rarely  did  he  appeal  in  vain.  His  strongest  oppo- 
nents of  Emanu-El  were  the  first  to  rally  around  him  to  maintain  his 
good  work.     Even  with  this,  and  the  proceeds  of  his  Gleaner,  Eck- 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  i4g 

man  never  earned  more  than  a  pittance.  For  his  pupils  of  Hcfzibah 
he  wrote  a  "Prayer-book  for  Children"  published  at  his  own  expense 
and  distributed  gratis,  and  a  "Vocabulary  of  the  Hebrew  Tongue" 
of  which  unfortunately  I  have  been  unable  to  obtain  a  copy.  The 
school  was  a  remarkable  institution.  Eckman  would  gather  his 
pupils  in  a  daily  morning  service,  give  them  a  sermonette,  and  dis- 
miss them  to  their  work  inspired  with  a  feeling  that  he  was  their  best 
friend  as  well  as  their  teacher.  Thus,  this  gifted  man  helped  to 
quicken  the  pulsations  of  religious  life  in  our  community,  and  it  is 
but  just  to  his  memory  to  state  with  deep  gratitude  that  the  effects  of 
his  labors  still  survive  in  the  religious  acts  and  deeds  of  many  of  his 
former  disciples.  . 

Shortly  after  the  severance  of  his  relations  with  the  Congregation 
Emanu-El,  Dr.  Eckman  decided  to  enter  the  journalistic  field. 
Jewish  journalism  was  then  quite  a  new  experience  in  the  United 
States.  Robert  Lyon's  Hasmoncean,  Isaac  Leeser's  Occident  and 
Isaac  M.  Wise's  American  Israelite,  then  but  recently  published, 
were  the  eastern  efforts  in  that  direction.  The  field  on  the  Pacific 
Coast  was  new  and  unploughed.  The  necessity  for  reaching  the 
scattered  Jewish  communities,  from  Victoria  down  to  San  Diego, 
with  competent  educational  literature  was  paramount.  Eckman 
decided  upon  the  publication  of  the  Gleaner  (January,  1856),  which 
in  its  early  years  enjoyed  a  liberal  circulation.  It  became  the  medium 
of  correspondence  for  the  hundreds  of  settlements  all  along  the 
Coast.  It  brought  to  the  cabins  of  the  Jewish  miners  and  traders 
news  from  their  distant  homes,  and  it  gave  Eckman  his  opportunity 
for  impressing  his  readers  with  the  advantages  of  organized  religion, 
and  providing  religious  instruction  for  their  children. 

The  four  first  volumes  of  the  Gleaner  are  thoroughly  encyclo- 
paedic in  their  character.  Their  editor  evidently  used  his  columns  as 
a  medium  of  teaching.  His  editorial  utterances  are  few;  his  essays 
and  sermons  numerous.  Dr.  Eckman  was  a  versatile  scholar.  Well 
acquainted  with  both  the  classical  and  oriental  languages,  partial  to 
archaeology  and  fond  of  philology,  he  used  all  his  knowledge  in  the 
preparation  of  material,  that  in  our  day  appears  somewhat  too  pon- 
derous for  popular  information,  but  which  no  doubt  suited  the  times. 
As  a  polemist,  Dr.    Eckman   was  a  failure.     Such  gentle  spirits  are 


i§o  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

not  prepared  for  the  journalistic  arena.  All  the  attacks  on  his  prin- 
cipals or  teachings  he  met  with  mild  reproof  and  patient  argument; 
all  ignoble  sneers  at  himself  he  quietly  ignored.  The  Gleaner  shows 
his  character  both  as  a  man  and  a  scholar.  As  a  man,  he  was 
impractical  and  ignorant  of  business,  trustful  of  human  nature,  an 
easy  prey  to  agents  who  made  ducks  and  drakes  of  his  affairs;  gen- 
erous to  the  poor,  and  to  his  last  day,  indifferent  to  the  social  habits 
of  his  environments.  As  a  scholar,  he  was  original,  almost  massive, 
given  somewhat  too  much  to  the  fascinations  of  philological  specu- 
lation, but  strongly  grounded  in  theology,  and  a  master  of  Rabbinical 
literature.  As  a  linguist  he  was  universally  esteemed  as  the  best  on 
the  Pacific  Coast. 

Of  his  unselfishness  many  fine  tales  could  be  told.  In  i860  his 
idealism  induced  him  to  offer  himself  as  a  missionary  to  China  to 
devote  a  few  years  of  his  life  to  the  restoration  of  the  supposedly  old 
Jewish  congregation  at  Kai-fong-foo.*  Subsequently  he  officiated 
for  a  period  of  three  years  in  Portland,  Oregon,  and  despite  his  pov- 
erty, refused  to  receive  a  cent  of  remuneration  for  his  services.  His 
lonely  quarters  at  the  corner  of  Clay  and  Leavenworth  Streets,  a 
veritable  hermitage,  were  nevertheless  the  scenes  of  interesting 
occurrences.  Scholars,  Catholic  priests,  and  Protestant  ministers 
came  to  see  the  Rabbi,  who,  though  somewhat  eccentric  in  his  habits, 
was  a  well-spring  of  learning,  and  he  was  never  niggardly  with  his 
information. 

He  gave  to  all  who  were  ready  to  receive.  He  was  exceedingly 
liberal  in  his  doctrines.  Personally  conservative,  and  disinclined  to 
radical  reform,  as  it  was  understood  in  his  day,  he  was  tolerant,  con- 
fident of  his  people's  great  future  and  exceedingly  idealistic  in  his 
attitude  towards  other  faiths.  "Faith,  not  prayers,  constitutes  ortho- 
doxy," he  once  answered  a  correspondent.  At  times  his  gentleness 
and  tolerance  were  sorely  tried,  but  he  was  able  to  rise  to  the  situa- 
tion.    His  interesting  attitude  in  the  Mortara  question  is  not  yet  for- 

*  Kai-fong-foo,  more  properly  Kai  Fung  Fu,  is  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Hunan,  and  is  situ- 
ated on  the  Hoang-Ho  River,  about  three  hundred  miles  south  of  Pekin.  It  is  asserted  that  a  Jewish 
colony  existed  there  tor  the  last  two  thousand  years.  A  stone  tablet  iound  in  1867  on  the  site  of  what 
was  supposed  to  be  a  synagogue  records  the  fact  that  the  structure  was  built  in  1162.  There  are  now 
claimed  to  remain  some  400  of  these  native  Chinese  Jews,  who  are  said  to  be  descendants  from  Persian 
Jews  who  ventured  into  China  about  the  time  of  the  second  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  Bruno 
Navarra,  a  French  traveler  and  scientist,  lately  furuished  some  interesting  data  regarding  the  origin 
of  the  Kai  F'ung  Fu  Jews,  but  the  whole  subject  requires  further  investigation. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  r§i 

gotten  in  San  Francisco.  When  men  of  every  faith  denounced  the 
Papal  authorities  for  their  infamous  robbery  of  a  Jewish  child,  the 
clear-sighted  Eckman  predicted  that  a  generation  afterwards  Edgar 
Mortara  would  be  amongst  the  faithful  ones  of  the  Church,  and  coun- 
seled a  more  gentle  attitude  towards  the  great  Catholic  organization, 
which,  however,  did  not  deter  him  from  speaking  in  words  of  burn- 
ing indignation  at  the  great  Mortara  mass  meeting  held  in  this  City 
(Saturday  evening,  January  15,  1859).  One  of  his  religious  mottoes 
is  worth  preserving:  "Every  religious  system  contains  the  sources 
of  good;  infidelity  never  built  schools,  homes  for  the  poor,  or  hos- 
pitals for  the  sick." 

He  died  July  5,  1877,  suddenly  and  alone.  He  had  never  mar- 
ried, this  man,  whose  heart  was  given  to  the  little  children  of  his 
people  and  to  the  suffering  poor;  and  no  assistance  was  nigh  to  the 
aged  Rabbi  in  the  hour  of  his  mortal  illness.  His  funeral  was  an 
imposing  demonstration.  "Young  and  old,"  says  an  eye  witness, 
"Jew  and  Christian  assembled  in  great  numbers  to  follow  the  remains 
of  a  philanthropist,  a  distinguished  scholar,  and  a  good  man  in  the 
word's  true  sense."  The  funeral  was  conducted  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Sherith  Israel  Congregation.  The  late  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn,  who 
had  known  Eckman  in  Berlin,  preached  a  sermon  of  great  beauty. 
He  was  buried  in  the  Hills  of  Eternity  and  his  remains  were  subse- 
quently removed  to  the  new  Hills,  where,  in  the  honored  Row,  where 
lie  all  the  faithful  servants  of  Sherith  Israel,  he  reposes  in  peace, 
his  name  beloved  and  honored  as  that  of  the  pioneer  Rabbi  of  San 
Francisco. 

ELKAN   COHN. 

It  is  now  nearly  twelve  years  since  Rabbi  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn  went 
to  his  rest.  In  looking  over  my  manuscripts  to  be  used  in  the  prepa- 
ration of  this  work  I  recalled  the  words  I  had  been  privileged  to  speak 
at  the  service  in  honor  of  my  dear  friend's  memory  (Sunday,  April  7, 
1889),  and  in  re-examining  these  words  I  find  them  to  contain  all  the 
essential  materials  for  a  full  and  complete  biography.  I  have  there- 
fore thought  it  wise  to  incorporate  those  remarks,  without  material 
change,  adding  thereto  only  such  reflections  as  after  a  lapse  of  twelve 
years  seem  appropriate: 


i§2  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

Brethren,  in  unfolding  the  chapter  of  our  beloved  Rabbi's  life 
before  you,  I  experience  a  sense  of  reverence  akin  to  the  prophet's 
feeling  when  he  was  informed  he  stood  on  holy  ground.  The  four 
decades  that  have  preceded  our  time  have  witnessed  struggles  in  the 
house  of  Israel  that  are  inscribed  on  a  separate  page  in  our  religious 
history.  The  air  was  rent  with  cries  of  war,  the  ground  heaved  under 
the  violent  movements  of  the  combatants,  but  to  us  younger  men  the 
ground  is  holy.  The  battle  was  waged  around  the  sanctuary,  to  pre- 
serve it  in  its  purity,  to  keep  its  holy  spirit  from  dying  amongst  men, 
to  permit  its  continuance  as  the  witness  of  God  unto  His  people. 
The  heroes  are  all  dead  or  dying.  One  or  two  are  left  to  enjoy  the 
fruits  of  their  labors  and  receive  the  measure  of  our  reverence;  and 
let  us  thank  God  that  the  great  number  of  these  valiant  soldiers  did 
not  pass  away  without  at  least  seeing  the  silver  line  of  Jordan,  and 
beyond  it  the  certainty  that  they  had  not  lived  in  vain.  When  to-day 
we  mention  the  name  of  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn,  we  do  not  simply  mention 
the  name  of  Emanu-El's  faithful  pastor,  but  that  of  a  man  who  in  the 
spiritual  struggles  of  the  last  forty  years  took  a  prominent  part;  who 
contributed  a  large  share  towards  the  wondrous  upbuilding  of  Judaism 
in  the  United  States;  who  braved  contempt,  despised  danger,  risked 
rank  and  fortune,  and  the  good  opinion  of  his  brethren,  in  the  attempt 
to  liberate  Judaism  from  the  deathly  stupor  in  which  it  had  fallen. 
Years  before  his  death  he  knew  that  the  cause  had  succeeded;  and, 
though  his  compeers  were  one  after  the  other  borne  hence,  having 
fought  the  good  fight,  he  knew  that  the  foundations  of  the  regener- 
ated Judaism  being  well  set,  no  human  hand  could  henceforth 
undermine  them. 

He  was  born  on  February  22 — a  memorable  day — of  the  year 
1820.  The  town  of  Kosten  in  Posen,  where  his  parents  lived,  had 
experienced  little  of  the  European  upheaval  of  a  few  years  before. 
All  around,  in  the  great  cities  of  Europe,  the  downfall  and  exile  of 
Napoleon  had  been  succeeded  by  the  re-establishment  of  old  lines, 
which  carried  with  them  the  recurrence  of  conservative  thought  in 
religious  matters.  The  nascent  Jewish  reform  party,  which  had 
been  favored  by  the  Napoleonic  princes,  despite  the  anathemas  of 
the  Rabbis,  spoke  with  but  a  timid  voice.  Its  early  leaders  were 
dead  or  indifferent,  and  Israel  was  in  no  present  humor  to  give  ear  to 


d 


THE   REV.  MAX   WOLFF, 

Cantor  of  Temple  Emanu-El, 

1874-1S84. 


THE   REV.  EDWARD  J.  STARK, 
Cantor  of  Temple   Emanu-El. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  153 

liberal  thought.  Everywhere  Rabbinism  had  obtained  a  stronger 
hold;  its  resentment  against  the  religious  anarchists  who  dared 
preach  a  reconciliation  between  the  spirit  of  Judaism  and  the  spirit  of 
modern  times  was  deep  and  bitter.  No  wonder,  then,  that  Elkan 
Cohn  was  born  in  orthodox  surroundings.  His  father  was  a  learned 
and  intelligent  man,  who,  on  account  of  the  early  death  of  his  wife, 
was  compelled  to  send  his  son  to  Shempin,  where  his  grandparents 
lived.  In  the  latter  village  the  child  was  raised  in  an  atmosphere 
purely  Talmudical.  Traveling  Rabbis  were  the  guests  of  his  rela- 
tives; learned  discussions  were  the  topics  at  family  meals;  morning 
and  evening  the  hum  of  dialectics,  the  monotone  of  controversy  and 
exposition  resounded  in  his  ears.  In  these  surroundings  Elkan  Cohn 
imbibed  that  great  desire  for  knowledge  that  clung  to  him  through 
life.  When  he  left  his  grandparents'  house  at  the  age  of  fourteen  to 
begin  his  studies,  he  was  already  well  equipped  in  Talmudical  lore. 
An  eager,  receptive  mind  was  his — endowed  by  nature  with  the  remark- 
able faculty  of  not  alone  grasping  the  salient  points  of  knowledge, 
but  of  retaining  them  to  be  used  as  the  material  for  future  structures 
of  wisdom.  I  do  not  know  whether  in  the  home  circle  he  was  per- 
mitted to  enrich  his  mind  with  the  elements  of  profane  knowledge. 
But  he  had  the  making  of  a  great  scholar  in  him,  and  his  wonderful 
application  and  incessant  devotion  to  his  tasks  made  him  the  favorite 
pupil  of  all  his  teachers.  Remember  that  the  men  of  his  class 
became  scholars  in  profane  knowledge,  not  by  the  consent  or  the 
command  of  their  early  teachers.  The  spirit  of  Israel's  teachers, 
excepting  a  few,  was  then  inimical  to  profane  knowledge;  versa- 
tility in  the  Talmudical  codices,  dialectic  ability,  learning  in  the  com- 
plex Talmudical  jurisprudence,  were  all  deemed  the  highest  accom- 
plishments. The  greatest  Talmudist  was  the  greatest  scholar.  The 
Mendelssohnians  —  men  of  progress,  of  whom  Zunz  was  already  a 
worthy  representative — who  stood  then  well-nigh  alone,  the  others 
having  fallen  away,  were  deemed  next  to  infidels.  The  generation  of 
Rabbis  who  had  publicly  anathematized  Mendelssohn's  German 
translation  of  the  Scriptures  was  succeeded  by  men  whose  enmity 
was  of  no  less  degree.  Few  were  then  the  Rabbis  who  sought  to 
supplement  their  Talmudical  accomplishments  by  a  university  career. 
These  few,  every  one  standing  out  as  a  hero  amongst  men,  were  the 


i$4  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

forerunners  of  our  modern  Judaism.  They  infused  a  desire  for  clas- 
sical knowledge  and  for  scientific  attainments  into  the  Talmudjuenger 
— Bahurim — ,  whom  a  consciousness  to  rise  above  their  surroundings 
had  driven  to  the  German  schools.  Some  of  our  leading  American 
Rabbis,  the  greatest  number  of  whom  are  now  gathered  to  their 
fathers,  belonged  to  that  class. 

Elkan  Cohn,  having  passed  some  time  in  Breslau,  was  sent  to 
Braunschweig,  the  cradle  of  poets  and  scholars,  where  he  was  excep- 
tionally fortunate  in  the  selection  of  his  teachers.  Amongst  Dr. 
Cohn's  papers  there  is  a  certificate  in  Dr.  Herzfeld's  handwriting,  to 
the  effect  that  the  young  student  had  been  for  three  years  a  pupil  of 
Rabbi  Isaac  Eger,  a  son  of  the  great  Rabbi  Akiba  Eger,  and  that 
after  the  death  of  that  scholarly  Talmudist,  the  famous  historian 
himself  had  instructed  him.  The  name  of  Herzfeld  suggests  the 
ripest  knowledge,  the  finest  historical  acumen,  the  most  versatile  tal- 
ents, and  from  him,  whose  history  of  the  Jews  is  still  a  textbook 
among  students,  Elkan  Cohn  imbibed  that  scholarly  faculty  of  indus- 
trious, painstaking  research,  which  enabled  him  to  master  difficult 
problems  of  learning,  and  did  not  leave  him  until  his  growing  infirm- 
ities robbed  him  of  the  pleasure  of  patient  study.  Meanwhile  he 
attended  the  gymnasium,  where  he  received  a  thorough  modern  edu- 
cation. At  the  age  of  twenty,  Herzfeld  sent  him  to  Berlin  with  let- 
ters of  loving  regard  to  the  spiritual  authorities  and  influential  Jewish 
laymen,  and  there,  in  that  greater  center  of  learning,  he  slowly 
developed  those  remarkable  faculties  which  were  destined,  under  the 
protection  of  Heaven,  to  become  a  blessing  to  the  Jews  of  the  far 
West.  He  matriculated  as  a  student  of  the  humaniora  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Berlin,  and  pursued  his  theological  and  Rabbinical  studies 
under  the  famous  J.  J.  Ettinger,  then  chief  Rabbi  of  the  Berlin  com- 
munity. His  ten  years'  residence  in  Berlin  form  a  tale  of  patient 
toil,  often  diverted  by  intercourse  with  learned  and  polite  society.  In 
no  haste  to  seek  a  professional  position  he  maintained  himself,  inde- 
pendently of  the  world,  as  a  private  tutor,  and  was  enabled,  as  seems 
always  to  have  been  his  fondest  desire,  to  pursue  science  for  its  own 
dear  sake,  giving  but  a  fleeting  thought  to  the  responsibilities  he 
would  be  called  upon  in  future  to  assume.  The  university  made  him 
a  scholar;  his  intercourse  with  Zunz  and  the  growing  number  of  pro- 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  755 

gressive  scholars  opened  his  eyes  to  the  demands  of  the  times.  Israel 
wished  to  break  its  fetters ;  the  young  particularly  had  grown  weary 
of  Rabbinical  domination.  In  them  the  embers  of  a  purer  faith  were 
being  fanned  until  they  grew  into  bright  flames;  and  they  had 
learned  already  that  the  sum  of  all  knowledge  was  not  contained  in 
the  Talmud,  its  codices  and  commentaries.  They  had  a  precious 
bequeathment  from  the  generation  preceding  them,  namely,  the  great 
thought  that  Israel's  political  freedom  could  not  be  accomplished  in 
the  midst  of  mental  stupor;  that  to  wrench  enfranchisement  and 
manhood  from  the  nations  would  be  impossible  if  Israel  persisted  in 
enveloping  itself  in  its  oriental  frame.  That  thought,  spoken  first  in 
whispers,  grew  to  an  angry  demand  when  Elkan  Cohn  was  a  student, 
and  some  of  those  who  found  the  German  Jews  indifferent  to  spirit- 
ual regeneration  had  already  crossed  the  seas  to  dedicate  new  shrines 
to  the  God  of  Israel  on  the  virgin  soil  of  free  America.  Our  friend 
was  one  of  those  young  men  whose  pursuit  of  literature  and  inter- 
course with  refined  minds  had  rendered  them  forever  incapable  of  a 
career  circumscribed  on  all  sides  by  Rabbinical  restrictions.  But  his 
time  had  not  yet  come.  He  plodded  patiently,  diverting  himself  with 
writing  beautiful  Hebrew  poetry,  copying  the  Arabic  version  of  the 
Pentateuch,  or  composing  Greek  and  Latin  verse.*  He  remained 
long  enough  in  Berlin  to  witness  the  exciting  scenes  of  the  Revolu- 
tion of  '48,  and,  being  a  member  of  the  students'  corps,  the  peaceful 
devotee  of  science  became  a  soldier  for  the  nonce,  and  did  good  ser- 
vice in  defense  of  the  national  property.  In  Berlin  also  the  romance 
of  his  life  was  enacted.  In  one  of  the  families  he  attended  in  the 
capacity  of  tutor  he  met  the  lady  whom  most  of  you  have  known  and 
esteemed,  who  was  herself  patiently  moulding  young  minds  given  in 
her  care.  Her  beauty,  her  gentleness  and  sweet  demeanor,  no  less 
than  her  charming  gifts  of  mind,  attracted  the  student,  and  between 
these  two  there  sprang  up  an  attachment  that  ripened  into  a  love  true 
and  tender  and  all-absorbing,  and  they  agreed  that  God  had  created 
them  for  each  other.  When  he  left  Berlin  in  1850,  having  become 
Rabbi  of  Brandenburg,  he  brought  his  young  wife  with  him,  and  she 
ever  remained  the  proudest  and  most  cherished  treasure  of  the  gentle 

•  Several  very  interesting  poems  and  a  fragment  of  the  manuscript  above  alluded  to,  I  have  found 
among  Dr.  Cohn's  papers. 


156  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

scholar,  who,  but  for  that  dear  companion  by  his  side,  might  have 
found  some  difficulty  in  braving  the  risks  of  his  period;  for  he  was 
essentially  a  man  of  peace.  God  had  created  him  with  a  gentle 
nature,  a  temperament  the  reverse  of  aggressive,  and  though  he  was 
the  peer  of  any  scholar  in  the  land,  he  might  have  remained  content 
with  a  pittance  and  his  beloved  books,  but  for  that  pure  wifely  ambi- 
tion that  lead  the  noble  young  sage  into  more  worldly  paths  for  the 
happiness  of  those  who  had  already  begun  to  admire  the  depth  of 
both  his  learning  and  his  character.  Four  years  he  remained  in 
Brandenburg;  then  the  world  unfolded  to  his  gaze,  and  he  was  sum- 
moned to  do  manly  toil. 

In  America  men  were  needed.  The  nascent  congregations  of 
Israel  clamored  for  teachers  in  whom  the  fire  of  faith  had  become 
intensified  by  research  and  study.  A  few  were  on  the  premises 
already,  men  who  had  come  of  their  own  choice.  To  give  you  a 
picture  of  Judaism  in  America  in  1854,  the  year  of  Dr.  Cohn's 
arrival,  would  require  more  time  than  may  be  utilized  at  present. 
The  distant  thunder  of  revolution  was  being  heard.  The  broad  spirit 
of  the  land  created  in  the  hearts  of  the  Jews  irreconcilable  objections 
to  petrified  traditions.  Everywhere  callousness,  indifference,  lack  of 
spiritual  fervor  were  the  result  of  imperfect  organization,  half-edu- 
cated preachers,  and  an  orthodoxy  of  form,  an  empty  shell,  beneath 
which  the  substance  of  faith  had  disappeared.  The  congregations 
suffered  from  the  want  of  preachers.  The  number  of  educated  men 
of  that  class  was  surprisingly  few.  The  cause  of  reform  had  just 
been  stirred,  and  the  attempts  to  hush  the  timid  voices  were  many. 
Already  in  1832  a  Jewish  layman  of  Charleston,  Isaac  Harby,  had 
pleaded  with  his  congregation  for  an  intelligent,  modernized  presen- 
tation of  Jewish  religious  forms.  For  a  long  time  his  voice  remained 
unheard,  outside  of  his  own  congregation ;  then  in  the  North  one  voice 
after  the  other  gave  forth  sound.  The  battle  was  soon  to  commence. 
Our  revered  friend,  quietly  ministering  to  his  Brandenburg  congrega- 
tion, received  a  call  from  the  Jewish  community  of  Albany,  N.  Y., 
to  cross  the  ocean  and  become  their  spiritual  guide.  Without  any 
thought  of  the  agitation  in  which  he  was  to  take  so  prominent  a  part, 
simply  conscious  that  his  talents  would  be  useful  to  his  co-religionists 
in  the  New  World,  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn,  at  the  age  of  thirty-four,  in  the 


Chronicles    of    Emanu-El.  157 

closing  months  of  the  year  1854,  took  his  wife  and  child,  and  commit- 
ting himself  to  the  mercy  of  Heaven,  withstood  the  perils  of  the  sea 
to  found  for  himself  an  American  home. 

He  arrived  in   Albany  in   the   closing  month    of    the    year,  was 
received  with  the  honors  due  his  exalted  station,  and  instantly  went 
to  work.     In  New  York  a  few  choice  spirits  had  welcomed  him — men 
who  knew  the  solid  metal   of  the   newcomer.      Lilienthal,  whom  a 
grateful  posterity  has  named  the  "Prince  of  Peace,"  was  the  princi- 
pal of  an  academy,  Merzbacher  was  preaching  to  the  Emanu-El  Con- 
gregation, Raphall  was  preacher  of  the  B'nai  Jeshurun,  and  the  lam- 
ented Isaacs  was  in  the   midst   of  his   career   of  blessed  usefulness. 
Wise,   Dr.    Cohn's  predecessor   in   Albany — a   fiery,   warlike   spirit, 
whose  perennial  strength  seems  to  withstand  the  times — had  gone  to 
Cincinnati;    Gutheim  had  departed  for   New   Orleans;    Einhorn  and 
Adler  had  not  yet   come,  but  they  were  in  time  for  the  battle.     The 
outposts  were  being  filled,  the  sentinels  properly  stationed,  and  the 
notes  of  war  were  rumbling  like  distant  thunder  in   the  angry  sky. 
The  casus  belli  is  historical.     When  the  forces  separated,  the  gage 
lying  between  them  was  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant.     The  one  side  cov- 
eted the  Ark,  the  other  its  contents.     That  is  the  simplest  presenta- 
tion of  the   case.     We   render   our  opponents   the   justice   that  they 
sought  on  their  side  to  cultivate  the  spirit  of  Judaism,  and  felt  that  they 
could  do  so  by  perpetuating  the  traditional  envelopments  of  that  spirit. 
Whether   they  succeeded  or  not    I    need   not    say.     Forty  years  of 
history   have    given    answer.      Dr.  Wise   during  his    ministrations  in 
Albany  had  been  the  means  of  throwing  the  congregation  into  a  fer- 
ment.    He  had  spoken  with  no  doubtful  voice;  he  demanded  changes 
which,  denounced  at  the  time  in  the  bitterest,  most  abusive  language, 
have  since  been  adopted  by  nearly  every  congregation  in  the  land. 
In  New  York,  Merzbacher  had  launched  his   new  abridged  prayer- 
book  with  much  fear  and  timidity.     The  time  for  open  discussion  had 
come.      What  meant  these  turbulent  reformers,   these   half-infidels, 
violators  of  the  traditional  law,  who  openly  disregarded  many  of  the 
traditional  customs?      Their    answer    never  was    equivocal.      They 
demanded  the  up-building  of  the  spirit    of  Judaism,  the   elevation  of 
Jewish     manhood,  the     abrogation    of  spiritless   devotional  composi- 
tions;  and  the  great  underlying  factor  of  their  movement    was  the 


158  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

harmonizing  of  the  Jewish  religious  ideas  with  the  spirit  of  the  times. 
Nine  reform  congregations  existed  in  1854.  To-day  we  have  two 
hundred.  These  nine  with  their  leaders  stood  the  brunt  of  battle  and 
wavered  not  for  a  moment,  nor  was  their  crest  lowered  on  the  day  of 
war.  Jewish  organs  fulminated  against  them  in  Pope-like  bulls;  they 
were  denounced  as  enemies  of  Judaism;  of  some  it  was  said  they 
were  self-called  preachers.  A  temporary  truce  was  called  a  year 
later.  In  1855  an  attempt  was  made  to  harmonize  the  differences 
between  the  parties,  and  had  these  differences  been  as  to  the  form 
only,  the  reform  party  of  the  United  States  would  have  died  in  its 
infancy.  A  convention  of  Rabbis  and  delegates  was  called  in  Cleve- 
land in  1855.  The  call  set  forth  grandiloquently  the  great  things 
that  were  expected.  Peace  was  to  reign  supreme,  asylums  to  be  estab- 
lished, colleges  to  be  endowed;  in  brief,  the  sanguine  hopes  of  these 
young  men  gave  a  rosy  color  to  the  attempt.  When  the  convention 
met,  the  newcomer  was  honored  as  befitted  his  station.  Wise  was 
president;  Lilienthal,  secretary;  Elkan  Cohn  was  vice-president  and 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  text  and  prayer-books.  The  results  of 
that  convention  may  be  summed  up  in  the  fact  that  after  its  adjourn- 
ment the  delegates  were  more  than  ever  convinced  of  the  futility  of  a 
compromise.  And  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  when  the  reform 
cause  prospered  by  accessions  to  its  ranks,  it  was  readily  seen  how 
impossibly  the  few  true  reformers  could  harmonize  with  the  advo- 
cates of  the  status  quo.  When  Einhorn  of  honored  memory  began 
to  thunder  against  half-reform,  against  the  pomp  and  tinsel  and  glitter 
of  a  compromise  worship,  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn  readily  came  to  his  side, 
and  thereafter  his  history  in  the  East  was  closed.  He  was  no  Titan, 
no  world-stormer,  simply  a  peaceful  citizen,  who  could  accomplish 
his  sacred  objects  by  teaching,  and  he  loathed  from  his  soul  the  bitter 
words  that  were  spoken  on  both  sides. 

In  the  month  of  January,  i860,  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the 
Emanu-El  Congregation  of  San  Francisco,  Henry  Seligman  then 
being  President,  elected  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn  their  Rabbi  and  Minister 
for  three  years.  In  the  summer  of  that  year,  in  time  for  the  solemn 
festivals,  he  arrived  and  was  installed.  He  came,  after  a  struggle  with 
himself.  Six  years  of  devoted  service  had  endeared  him  to  his 
Albany  congregation.      Another  child  had  been  born  to  him,   and   his 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  i$g 

surroundings  were  thoroughly  congenial.  He  was  aware  of  the 
future  that  awaited  him,  knew  that  all  the  scholarly  attainments 
acquired  by  years  of  painstaking  labor  would  not  be  valued  as 
highly  as  the  faculty  to  organize  schools  and  to  build  up  the  rather 
lukewarm  spirit  of  the  West.  He  felt  that  he  would  be  a  pioneer 
minister,  and  realized  the  difficulties  of  that  position.  If  he  hesitated 
for  a  moment  before  he  came,  you  who  knew  him  can  testify  that  he 
never  wavered  in  his  devotion  to  his  work  after  he  arrived.  Numbers 
who  welcomed  him  to  San  Francisco  are  here  to-day  within  the  reach 
of  my  voice ;  they  can  do  him  better  justice  than  the  young  who 
inherit  the  fruits  of  their  parents'  toil.  Those  who  have  seen  him 
wend  his  way  to  •the  old  Broadway  Synagogue,  those  who  were  with 
him  when  he  descended  from  the  chair  of  an  academician  to  become 
the  teacher  of  little  children,  do  him  the  justice  that  no  man  of  his 
tastes  and  inclinations  ever  made  greater  sacrifices  than  he  did;  and 
he  was  well  rewarded.  No  man  was  more  admired,  no  man  enjoyed 
the  love  of  his  flock  in  such  a  degree.  And  when  in  his  elegant 
German  discourses  he  began  to  plead  the  cause  of  Reform,  he  found 
a  congregation  ripe  for  the  change  and  willing  to  follow.  He  was 
no  half-hearted  reformer.  Whatever  savored  of  unreason,  whatever 
was  retrogressive,  whatever  partook  of  the  nature  of  the  insensate 
was  abhorrent  to  his  soul.  To  educate  his  people  to  a  pure,  reason- 
ing worship  of  God — a  worship  clad  in  forms  harmonious — was  one 
of  the  main  objects  of  his  mission.  In  our  local  history  he  therefore 
occupied  the  place  that  Einhorn,  Lilienthal,  Wise,  and  others  occupied 
in  their  respective  spheres.  If  his  language  was  less  bitter  than  that 
of  some  of  his  colleagues  in  the  East,  his  cause  lost  not  an  iota  by 
it.  Sabbath  after  Sabbath  he  attacked  the  rust  of  centuries,  grew 
eloquent  when  pointing  out  the  needs  of  timely  changes  and  the 
objects  to  be  accomplished  thereby. 

In  the  stately  temple  his  Congregation  meant  to  erect  for  him,  not 
a  sound  of  disharmony  should  be  heard,  and  the  worshipers  should 
be  weaned  from  the  unreasonable  features  of  traditional  thought  and 
worship.  But,  thorough-going  radical  as  he  was  in  these  respects, 
he  shared  with  Einhorn  and  Lilienthal  the  beautiful  distinction  that 
no  purer  men,  no  better  Jews,  no  greater  lovers  of  their  people,  no 
more  pious  worshipers  of  the  God  of  their  fathers,  ever  trod  the  soil 


160  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

of  America.  Dr.  Cohn's  reverence  was  the  result  of  an  abiding 
faith  in  God;  his  reforms  were  no  mere  policy,  no  mere  catering  to 
a  more  or  less  modern  taste.  They  were  the  results  of  an  anxious, 
prayerful  inquiry  how  to  render  the  greatest  honor  to  the  God  he 
reverently  worshipped.  Many  misunderstood  him;  many  opposed 
him.  He  made  enemies  for  truth's  sake,  but,  gentle  soul  that  he 
was,  he  never  yielded  an  inch  in  the  service  of  his  cause.  Only 
recently,  shortly  before  his  fatal  illness  overtook  him,  he  spoke  again 
with  some  degree  of  impatience  of  the  men  who,  just  when  the  Con- 
gregation assumed  a  heavy  financial  debt  to  enable  them  to  build  the 
new  sanctuary,  left  the  ranks  and  founded  a  new  congregation, 
ostensibly  upon  principles  diametrically  opposed  to  his  own — princi- 
ples they  had  not  kept,  for,  with  but  trifling  differences  their  present 
worship  and  doctrines  of  religion  are  the  same  as  ours.  How  his 
heart  swelled  with  pleasurable  emotion  when  for  the  first  time  he  per- 
formed his  priestly  functions  in  this  house !  How  his  soul  sung 
pseans  of  praise,  that  at  last  the  cause  had  been  permanently  estab- 
lished !  Since  then  twenty-two  years  have  come  and  gone,  and  say 
now  of  him  that  he  faithfully  ministered  unto  you,  never  yielding 
when  he  was  right,  always  forgiving  when  he  was  assailed.  Not  one 
among  you  who  had  not  at  some  time  received  his  ministrations,  for 
he  was  a  priestly  Rabbi,  who  came  to  your  households  to  give  you 
peace.  Thus  he  pursued  his  career  and  passed  his  life  in  the 
far  West — preaching,  teaching,  ministering;  arousing  every  noble 
impulse  in  his  flock;  fostering  every  charitable  sentiment;  assisting 
in  the  foundation  and  endowment  of  our  public  charitable  institutions; 
setting  an  example  every  day  of  his  life — the  example  of  a  singularly 
devoted  husband,  a  loving  father,  a  religious  man,  a  public-spirited 
citizen,  and  a  benefactor  of  his  kind  in  speech,  thought,  and  action. 
Every  impulse  of  his  noble  soul,  every  thought  of  his  rich  mind  was 
consecrated  to  God,  to  religion,  to  humanity,  and  in  the  domain  of 
charitable  action  his  spirited  example  created  noble  philanthropists 
among  the  young  Hebrews  of  the  West.  You  will  not,  I  am  sure, 
contradict  me  when  I  aver  that,  much  as  the  Emanu-El  Congrega- 
tion of  San  Francisco — to-day  the  most  liberal  and  most  intelligent 
Congregation  of  the  West — owes  to  its  public-spirited  laymen,  to  its 
devoted  presidents  and  officers,  its  standing  is  in  a  large  measure 
owing  to  the  twenty-nine  years'  services  of  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  161 

And  now  that  his  last  page  is  turned,  now  that  the  elegies  have 
been  sung,  and  the  hoary  head  has  been  laid  to  rest  on  its  eternal 
pillow,  let  us  say  of  him  with  deep  reverence:  "Tell  ye  of  the 
righteous  that  it  was  good."  Well  done — well  done,  good  and  faith- 
ful servant!  What  need  to  recount  the  long  list  of  his  services  to  his 
generation,  the  singular  devotion  that  characterized  his  every  action? 
What  need  to  name  the  beautiful  deeds  of  each  year,  the  wise  teach- 
ings of  every  period?  Give  him  one  page  in  your  history,  men  of 
San  Francisco;  inscribe  on  that  page  simply  his  name — the  honored, 
revered  name  of  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn — and  the  name  will  stand  for  all 
that  is  beautiful  in  life,  and  all  that  is  lofty  in  character,  all  that  con- 
stitutes the  true  man,  the  faithful  shepherd,  the  noble  scholar." 

The  services  of  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn  constitute  the  largest  part  of  the 
history  of  Emanu-El  for  the  past  five  decades.  He  served  his  people 
for  twenty-nine  years.  He  found  the  Congregation  in  i860  well- 
intentioned,  but  scarcely  ready  for  service  in  the  cause  of  Reform, 
and  distracted  by  internal  dissensions  and  the  clash  of  opinions.  The 
Reformers  had  no  plain  sailing  on  the  western  seas.  There  were 
men  enough  in  the  Congregation  who  believed  the  institution  of 
changes  to  be  fraught  with  the  most  dangerous  consequences,  and 
they  spoke  loudly  and  strongly.  Still  they  were  ready  to  listen  to  the 
representations  of  a  competent  scholar,  and  gladly  enough  supported 
the  movement  to  call  Dr.  Cohn  from  Albany.  That  distinguished 
Rabbi  was  elected  by  the  Congregation,  after  a  lengthy  correspon- 
dence, on  Thursday,  February  2,  i860,  President  Henry  Seligman 
casting  the  vote  for  the  Congregation.  A  "  full  Board  meeting,"  held 
April  25th,  received  his  acceptance,  which  was  entrusted  to  a  Con- 
gregational meeting  held  two  days  later,  April  27,  i860.  At  that 
time  the  Congregation  Emanu-El  was  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word 
a  German  orthodox  Congregation.  The  majority  of  the  members 
sanctioned  trifling  changes  in  the  ritual  with  extreme  reluctance,  and 
the  few  Reformers  found  a  display  of  conviction  rather  venturesome. 
Dr.  Elkan  Cohn,  who  never  sanctioned  any  Reform  for  love  of  inno- 
vation or  to  please  the  radical  tendencies  of  some  of  his  friends,  found 
the  service  and  the  school  in  a  condition  that  required  immediate 
treatment.  The  service  depended  largely  upon  the  interpretation  of 
the  lay  officials,  Hazan  Welhof  not  being  able  to  display  much  force; 


162  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

and  the  school  was  but  indifferently  maintained,  though  Daniel  Levy 
had  given  splendid  service  in  its  behalf.  The  Congregation  needed 
a  spiritual  guide,  one  competent  to  assume  all  personal  and  profes- 
sional responsibility  for  the  impending  reorganization  of  the  service. 
Dr.  Cohn  arrived  in  May,  and  immediately  demanded  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  committee  with  whom  to  consult  upon  the  question  of  the 
ritual  and  the  reorganization  of  the  religious  school.  It  is  strictly  in 
keeping  with  Dr.  Cohn's  character,  that  at  first  he  suggested  no 
sweeping  changes.  He  was  quite  content  to  let  the  impulse  of 
Reform  develop  itself,  but  he  was  above  all  things  concerned  with 
the  establishment  of  order  and  decorum  and  the  institution  of  a  per- 
manent school.  The  first  Reform  Committee,  Messrs.  A.  Tandler, 
Louis  Cohn,  L.  Tichener,  E.  Wertheimer,  Daniel  Levy,  B.  Ham- 
burger, and  I.  Ackerman,  a  body  of  intelligent  and  sincere  men, 
presented  their  report  to  a  special  meeting  of  the  Congregation  July 
27,  i860,  at  which  meeting  Dr.  Cohn  was  introduced  and  made  elab- 
orate presentation  of  his  views.  The  brethren  realized  that  a  master 
had  come  among  them,  one  who  would  give  them  security  of  the  sin- 
cerity of  his  intentions.  Dr.  Cohn  urged  the  elimination  from  the 
prayer-book  of  all  elements  that  were  not  strictly  devotional,  pleaded 
for  the  insertion  of  a  limited  number  of  German  or  English  prayers 
and  the  reorganization  of  the  choir.  Farther  than  that  he  was  for 
the  present  unwilling  to  venture.  With  regard  to  the  school  he 
insisted  upon  reclassification,  the  systematic  instruction  of  religion 
and  the  assurance  of  its  permanence  by  a  congregational  subsidy. 
It  is  useless  to  add  that  all  these  representations  which  had  been  pre- 
viously incorporated  in  the  committee's  report  were  unanimously 
adopted  by  the  Congregation,  and  Dr.  Cohn  was  permitted  to  begin 
his  labors  unhampered  by  factional  feeling.  The  rapid  development 
of  Reform  tendencies  in  the  Congregational  Emanu-El  after  that 
memorable  meeting  only  tends  to  emphasize  the  wisdom  of  Dr. 
Cohn's  conservatism.  He  knew,  from  his  experiences  in  the  East, 
that  the  movement  could  not  long  be  retarded,  for  the  men  of  Emanu- 
El  were  keenly  alive,  like  their  Eastern  brethren,  to  the  necessities 
of  the  hour;  but  he  felt  also  that  he  could  sanction  no  .haste,  no 
impetuous  trampling  on  tradition  which  might  endanger  the  future  pros- 
perity of  the  Congregation  by  refusing  to  respect  the  scruples  of  the 


Chronicles    of    Emanu-El .  /6j 

more  orthodox  families.  Dr.  Cohn,  a  Rabbi  of  the  Berlin  school,  a 
competent  theologian  and  a  man  of  deliberate  judgment,  always  loath 
to  break  with  the  historical  past,  and  reluctant  to  a  degree  to  give 
offense  to  the  least  of  God's  creatures,  made  Peace  the  foundation  of 
his  labors  in  California,  and  in  those  early  years  held  radicalism  in 
check,  because  he  desired  the  membership  to  remain  united.  And 
he  succeeded;  Reform  prospered  only  as  its  necessity  developed, 
until  by  five  years  of  patient  teaching  he  had  won  its  opponents  to 
consent  to  its  trial;  and  then  was  built  and  consecrated  our  magnifi- 
cient  Sutter  Street  Temple,  and  the  beloved  and  honored  pastor  put 
in  charge. 

In  June,  1886,  when  I'saw  Dr.  Cohn  for  the  first  time,  he  appeared 
like  an  octogenarian,  though  he  had  barely  reached  the  age  of  sixty- 
six.  He  rendered  me  the  inestimable  favor  of  admitting  me  to  his 
confidence,  and  during  our  numerous  conversations  I  learned  much 
that  casts  a  bright  light  upon  the  struggles  of  the  Temple  Emanu-El. 
Already  then  somewhat  indisposed,  and  compelled  to  seek  leisure,  he 
whiled  away  many  an  hour  by  ransacking  his  memory  and  recalling 
his  old  friends  from  the  depths  of  the  tomb.  He  spoke  of  his  friends 
in  the  struggle,  living  or  dead,  with  an  affection  that  bordered  on 
veneration.  He  freely  admitted  that  without  their  active  support  his 
labors  for  the  elevation  of  Judaism  on  the  Coast  might  have  been 
crippled.  He  would  speak  in  the  tenderest  accents  of  the  religious 
meetings  in  the  old  Broadway  Synagogue,  of  the  fine  looking  men  in 
the  auditory,  the  beautiful  women  in  the  gallery,  a  nucleus  of  pio- 
neers, whose  strength  of  character,  piety  and  liberality  rendered 
progress  valuable  assistance,  and  protected  the  learned,  but  gentle 
and  peace-loving  Rabbi  against  the  Dunkelmcenner ,  who,  in  and  out 
of  season,  assailed  him  and  sought  to  endanger  the  growth  of  culture 
and  intelligent  religion.  Those,  who  like  myself,  only  knew  Dr. 
Elkan  Cohn  in  the  evening  of  his  useful  life,  might  be  surprised  at 
the  thought  that  this  benign  personality  could  have  been  at  any  time 
a  subject  of  unkind  criticism.  But  bigotry  is  no  respecter  of  persons. 
Dr.  Cohn  lived  in  a  period  when  men's  hearts  were  more  divided 
than  the}' are  to-day ;  when  religious  contentions  as  well  as  political 
feuds  severed  friendships,  tore  asunder  family  ties,  and  created  con- 
ditions demanding  the  most  judicious  and  delicate  treatment.     But  his 


164  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

quiet,  gentle  strength  was  equal  to  all  the  obstacles  put  in  his  way  by 
fanaticism,  and  his  friends,  who  loved  him  with  intense  devotion, 
stood  by  and  saw  that  no  harm  came  to  his  cause.  It  was  this  sym- 
pathy, this  ready  response  to  his  suggestions,  and  their  firm  resolu- 
tions to  uphold  him,  that  sustained  him  in  the  trying  times  when  the 
orthodox  Emanu-El  Congregation  of  San  Francisco  became  one  of 
the  standard  bearers  of  Reform.  But  of  this,  also,  more  is  said  in 
another  chapter. 

Dr.  Elkan  Cohn  was  a  very  remarkable  man.  His  scholarship 
was  broad  and  liberal.  He  presented  the  finest  type  of  the  German 
Rabbi  of  a  generation  ago.  He  was  a  Talmudist,  trained  to  use  the 
materials  of  the  great  Rabbinical  enclyclopaedia  for  the  advancement 
of  a  correct  knowledge  of  Judaism.  From  the  hour  of  his  arrival  in 
San  Francisco,  his  scholarship  became  a  fact  that  no  one  ever  gain- 
said. The  orthodox  Congregations  down  town  honored  the  Reform 
Rabbi  because  he  was  a  Lamdan.  But  Dr.  Cohn  was  many-sided. 
He  was  probably  one  of  the  best  Orientalists  in  the  Rabbinate.  He 
was  a  master  of  Hebrew,  and  read  the  Quran  fluently.  He  often 
deplored  the  fact  that  he  felt  too  old  to  take  up  the  new  science  of 
Assyriology  and  its  idioms,  the  Babylonian-Assyrian.  His  methods  of 
study  were  conservative;  he  had  little  patience  with  our  new  processes 
of  determining  facts.  But,  for  all  that,  he  was  a  thorough  and 
painstaking  student.  He  was,  above  all,  a  classical  scholar,  and  pre- 
ferred Homer  to  Shakespeare,  Virgil  to  Schiller.  His  Greek  classics 
were  always  near  him,  and  his  greatest  delight  was  to  test  the  capacity 
of  Greek  students  to  scan  correctly.  I  may  say  that  Greek  was  as 
familiar  to  him  as  his  native  German.  He  wrote  it  fluently  as  he  did 
Hebrew,  in  which  language  he  could  express  himself  with  elegance 
and  precision.  He  spoke  French,  English  and  German  with  equal 
facility.  Nor  was  he  a  niggard  with  his  vast  store  of  learning.  He 
was  a  most  liberal  and  generous  teacher.  He  always  found  some 
student,  Jew  or  Gentile,  whose  mind  he  could  enrich.  My  personal 
experience  is,  that  his  information  was  vast,  and  of  the  most  varied 
order.  He  was  an  assiduous  reader,  and  this  great  student  was, 
what  Horatio  Stebbins  once  called  him,  "a  walking  encyclopaedia." 
It  is,  of  course,  to  be  regretted  that  he  never  published  anything.  Dr. 
Cohn  disliked  rushing  into  print.     His  humble  nature  conceded  the 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  165 

fact  that  he  was  too  far  away  from  the  centers  of  learning  to  con- 
tribute anything  material  to  the  literature  of  the  times.  He  often 
complained  of  his  want  of  opportunity  to  incorporate  a  number  of  his 
decidedly  original  ideas  in  permanent  form,  but  he  had  learned  the 
patience  of  the  scholar  who  can  content  himself  with  his  books.  For 
the  newspaper  literature  of  the  period  he  cared  very  little.  From  the 
moment  of  his  advent  in  San  Francisco  he  carefully  abstained  from 
meddling  with  the  so-called  Jewish  press.  He  was  on  the  friendliest 
terms  with  Eckman,  whom  he  had  known  in  Berlin,  a  student  and 
tutor  like  himself;  but  he  could  give  Dr.  Eckman  little  assistance  in 
his  newspaper  work  simply  because  Elkan  Cohn,  a  high-minded  man, 
despised  and  disliked  the  polemics  of  the  period,  which  too  often 
demanded  a  sacrifice  of  dignity  and  decorum,  sacrifices  which  Dr. 
Cohn  had  found  it  impossible  to  make.  In  fact,  his  judicious  and  dis- 
creet silence  in  the  whirl  of  contention,  his  firm  resolution  never  to 
reply  to  newspaper  attacks  except  when  in  the  gentlest  way  he  could 
correct  mistakes  and  remove  false  impressions,  assisted  the  growth  of 
the  Reform  movement  to  a  considerable  extent.  His  treatment  of  his 
opponents  indicates  a  lovable  combination  of  kindness  and  sound 
judgment.  Too  generous  to  return  blow  for  blow,  and  too  deliber- 
ate not  to  know  that  the  return  of  abuse  for  abuse  would  present  no 
argument,  he  preferred  to  let  the  champions  of  a  so-called  orthodoxy 
have  their  own  way  in  the  newspapers,  whilst  he  conferred  with  his 
friends  and  matured  his  ideas  for  the  regeneration  of  Judaism.  He 
was  the  pioneer  Reformer  of  the  Pacific  Coast.  He  was  the  first  to 
give  concrete  expression  to  the  popular  demand  for  changes  in  the 
service,  and  to  give  religion  the  inspiration  of  an  educational  and 
improving  tendency.  Every  radical  change  in  the  service  of  the 
Temple  Emanu-El  dates  from  his  arrival.  As  was  stated  before,  it 
was  not  his  nature  to  proceed  in  haste.  That  gentle  scholar  was  no 
Titan  to  storm  the  heights  of  unbelief  or  indifference.  Kind,  persua- 
sive, didactic,  he  impressed  his  friends  with  the  force  of  argument, 
and  one  by  one  the  bulwarks  of  the  antiquated  service  were  surren- 
dered. And  in  the  school  he  proved  that  Reform  was  not  a  mere 
instrumentality  to  effect  external  changes,  but  an  educational  movement 
designed  to  give  permanence  in  America  to  the  noblest  truths  of  our 
religion  and  the  most  honorable  aspirations  of  our  people. 


166  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

As  a  preacher,  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn  was  very  attractive.  His  sermons 
in  the  early  sixties,  then  mostly  delivered  in  German,  prepared  the 
community  for  the  impending  changes.  They  were  deeply  impressive. 
His  presence  was  benign.  His  face  shone  with  love  and  kindness.  In 
his  corrective  moods  he  never  forgot  he  loved  his  people.  His  German 
sermons  of  which  there  are.  unhappily,  but  few  in  print,  were  master- 
pieces of  elegance  and  diction.  His  English  sermons  were  at  times 
severely  philosophical,  but  Dr.  Cohn  believed  that  sermons  were  in- 
tended to  arouse  thought,  and  should  not  be  the  mere  frivolous  small- 
talk  to  be  measured  by  a  dial  of  ten  minutes.  He  was  very  serious 
about  his  preaching.  He  never  entered  the  pulpit  without  turning  to 
the  ark  and  engaging  in  a  moment's  silent  prayer.  He  never  began  a 
sermon  without  a  prayer.  His  voice  was  soft  and  tender.  In  prayer 
he  was  unexcelled.  When  people  remained  indifferent  to  the  force 
of  his  arguments  they  were  moved  by  the  tenderness  of  his  appeals, 
the  soft  cadence  of  his  voice  in  supplication.  He  has  established 
traditions  in  the  pulpit  of  the  Temple  Emanu-El  both  as  to  preaching 
and  interpretations  of  the  ritual  that  cannot  be  violated  by  his  succes- 
sors without  incurring  serious  criticism.. 

As  a  man  and  citizen  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn  presented  the  strongest 
type  of  the  American-Jewish  gentleman.  He  identified  himself  with 
the  interests  of  the  community,  because  he  felt  that  course  to  be  the 
competent  expression  of  his  religious  convictions.  He  had  strong 
faith  in  Republican  principles,  and  it  is  easily  explained  that  this 
disciple  of  the  law  of  Moses,  this  warm  friend  and  guide  of  the 
oppressed,  was  an  ardent  Abolitionist.  He  was,  for  a  man  of  his 
period,  singularly  liberal.  All  religion  was  sacred  to  him.  He  often 
said  that  the  key  to  Heaven's  kingdom  was  in  the  possession  of  no 
particular  denomination.  He  enjoyed  the  friendship  of  the  political 
and  religious  leaders  of  the  community.  His  home,  in  the  years 
before  death  robbed  him  of  his  idolized  wife,  was  often  the  salon, 
where  choice  spirits  met  and  debated  great  questions.  He  was 
thoroughly  esteemed,  because  he  presented  the  example  of  a  man  of 
unflinching  integrity,  of  the  noblest  conceptions  of  honor,  and  of  an 
unyielding  consistency  in  both  his  religious  and  political  principles. 
His  heart  was  tender  as  a  woman's.  He  was  a  philanthropist,  a  daily 
apostle  of  mercy,  doing  no  deed  of  love  by  deputy,  but  being  himself 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  167 

a  frequent  visitor  to  the  homes  of  the  poor,  gently  instructing  them  in 
practical  ways,  yet  never  withholding  his  hand  from  lending  help. 
He  was  a  kind,  patient,  generous  friend;  slow  to  anger,  slow  to 
resent  injury,  quick  to  forgive,  always  ready  to  make  peace,  ever 
ready  to  believe  the  best  of  human  nature — in  brief,  a  pious,  learned, 
admirable  man  whose  death  was  the  greatest  loss  Emanu-El  had  ever 
suffered,  and  who  is,  until  this  day,  lovingly  and  affectionately 
remembered  in  the  ever-growing  circles  of  the  great  San  Francisco 
Congregation,  and  far  beyond.  After  the  lapse  of  twelve  years  his 
memory  is  dear  to  me,  his  successor,  and  I  have  written  these  words 
with  a  heart  full  of  gratitude  that  Heaven,  in  my  younger  years, 
enabled  me  to  profit  by  so  noble  and  lovable  an  example. 

When  he  died,  the  community  was  in  mourning.  Among  other 
expressions  the  following  was  received  from  the  First  Unitarian 
Church: 

The   Trustees  of  the  First  Unitarian   Church  of  San  Francisco  to  the  Presidency  of 
Congregation   Emanu-El: 

Brethren — In  our  own  name,  and  in  the  name  of  our  Church,  we  offer  you  and  your 
people  our  sincere  regards,  and  unite  with  you  in  common  sentiments  of  respectful  and 
tender  sorrow  at  the  death  of  your  beloved  and  revered  Rabbi,  the  late  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn. 
He  was  the  teacher  and  friend  of  your  people,  and  the  dignity  and  purity  of  his  character 
made  him  beloved  by  all.  We  have  special  reason  to  recognize  and  feel  his  wise  magna- 
nimity, his  liberal  judgment  and  high  sense  of  duty.  Allow  us,  brethren,  to  unite  with 
you  in  these  sentiments,  and  while  accepting  trustfully  the  will  of  Heaven,  to  commit  him, 
and  ourselves,  and  our  people,  to  God  as  to  a  faithful  Creator. 

Very  sincerely, 

Chas.  M.  Gorham, 
Sheldon  G.  Kellogg,  Moderator  of  the  Board. 

Clerk. 

Resolved,  That  the  foregoing  letter  be  sent  to  the  Presidency  of  Congregation 
Emanu-El. 

The  above  resolution  was  adopted  by  the  Board  March  26,  1889. 

Sheldon  G.  Kellogg, 
Clerk  Board  0/  Trustees  First  Unitarian  Society. 

A  month  or  two  after  his  death  the  addresses  delivered  at  his 
funeral  were  incorporated  in  a  pamphlet,  which  was  introduced  by 
the  venerable  Leo  Eloesser  with  a  few  lines  that  may  worthily  conclude 
this  sketch: 


1 68  Chronicles    of   Emanu-El. 

Das  Leben  eines  Mann's  von  eciilem  Auel, 

Erhaben  ueber  beide,  Lob  und  Tadel, 

Das  wollen  diese  Blaetter  ehrlich  schildern; 

Sie  sollen  Nichts  vergroessern  und  Nichts  mildern. 

So  wahr  wie  er  im  Leben  ist  gewesen, 
So  wahr  im  Tode  sollt  ihr  von  ihm  lesen; 
Dann  ruft  auch  ihr  in  trauervollem  Tone; 
"  Ein  Edelstein  fiel  aus  Jisraels  Krone  !" 


DR.  ABRAHAM  ILLCH. 

Dr.  Abraham  Illch  was  born  in  Albany,  New  York,  on  the  fifth 
of  October,  1858.  From  his  earliest  childhood  he  evinced  an  ardent 
love  of  study.  In  public  school  he  always  stood  at  the  head  of  his 
class,  and  was  the  favorite  of  all  his  teachers.  He  was  only  fifteen 
years  old  when  he  graduated  with  highest  honors  from  the  Albany 
High  School.  He  was  the  valedictorian  of  his  class,  and  his  reputa- 
tion for  scholarship  is  still  the  tradition  of  the  school. 

Long  before  his  graduation  from  the  High  School,  he  had  resolved 
to  devote  his  life  and  his  unusual  abilities  to  the  ministry.  To  become 
a  Rabbi  in  Israel  was  his  ideal.  Unfortunately  his  physical  consti- 
tution was  unequal  to  the  constant  strain  to  which  his  restlessly  active 
mind  subjected  it.  His  physician  insisted  that  he  must  take  a  rest 
for  at  least  one  year.  But  even  this  year  of  rest  was  judiciously 
spent  in  preparation  for  his  future  career.  Under  the  direction  of 
the  Rabbi  of  his  Congregation,  Dr.  N.  Schlesinger,  he  pursued  very 
successfully  a  course  of  Hebrew  studies. 

In  1875  ne  l^  Albany  for  New  York.  There  he  entered  the 
Temple  Emanu-El  Theological  Seminary  and  Columbia  College.  In 
both  institutions  he  became  as  distinguished  a  student  as  he  had  been 
in  Albany.  Twice,  in  1877  and  1878,  Columbia  College  awarded 
him  a  mathematical  prize  of  $100.00;  and  his  teachers  in  the  Semi- 
nary, the  Rev.  Dr.  S.  Adler,  Dr.  Huebsch,  and  Dr.  Mielziner,  always 
esteemed  him  very  highly  for  his  indefatigable  diligence  and  marked 
ability. 

Sometime  after  his  graduation  from  Columbia  College  (April, 
1880),  he  went  to  Germany  to  pursue  a  post-graduate  course  of  studies 
both  in  theology  and   Semitic  literature.     For   somewhat  over  four 


THE  REV.  DR.   ABRAHAM  ILLCH, 
Junior   Rabbi    of   Temple   Emanu-El, 

1885. 


Chronicles    of   Emanu-El.  i6g 

years  he  studied  successively  at  the  universities  of  Berlin,  Tuebingen, 
and  Leipzig.  At  the  University  of  Leipzig  he  took  his  degree  of 
Ph.  D.  "magna  cum  laude"  and  very  soon  thereafter  he  returned 
home,  July,  1884.  The  report  of  the  marked  success  with  which  he 
had  pursued  his  studies  preceded  him,  and,  very  naturally,  not  only 
his  parents  and  friends  but  all  who  knew  him  expected  great  things 
of  the  brilliant  young  man. 

It  seemed  as  if  these  expectations  were  to  be  fully  realized.  His 
discourses  which  he  delivered  in  New  York,  Albany,  Philadelphia, 
Baltimore,  Detroit  and  other  cities,  impressed  his  audiences  with  the 
earnestness  and  glowing  enthusiasm  of  the  young  theologian,  and 
there  were  none  who  did  not  predict  a  very  bright  future  for  Dr. 
Abraham  Illch.  Still,  idealist  as  he  was,  he  could  not  easily  find  a 
position  to  suit  him,  and  there  was  a  period  of  great  discouragement 
and  depression  through  which  he  had  to  pass.  At  last,  in  1885,  he 
received  a  call  from  Congregation  Emanu-El  in  San  Francisco. 
There,  as  junior  Rabbi,  at  the  side  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn,  he 
was  confident  ample  opportunity  for  congenial  work  would  be  given 
him.  But  alas!  this  bright  prospect  was  soon  to  be  overcast  by 
the  darkness  of  death.  His  frail  body  could  not  sustain  his  soaring 
mind.  After  six  short  months  of  service,  one  Sabbath  morning,  the 
assembled  Congregation  was  shocked  by  the  sad  tidings  that  Dr. 
Abraham  Illch  was  no  more.  At  the  very  threshhold  of  a  magnificent 
career  he  was  suddenly  summoned  to  his  everlasting  reward.  Only 
those  who  knew  him  intimately  can  have  any  conception  of  the  magni- 
tude of  the  loss  which  our  sacred  cause  as  well  as  the  literary  world 
sustained  by  his  premature  demise.  A  German  professor,  one  of  his 
teachers,  when  he  heard  of  his  death,  wrote  to  his  relatives,  begging 
them  to  examine  carefully  Dr.  Illch's  manuscripts,  as  there  must  be 
among  them  some  work  on  Arabic  literature  "too  valuable  to  be 
lost."  Only  very  little  of  what  Dr.  Illch  wrote  has  been  published; 
though  even  this  is  quite  sufficient  to  show  him  the  ripe  scholar  and 
conscientious,  painstaking  laborer  he  was. 

He  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  and  buried  in  the  rural  cemetery 
of  Albany.  Over  his  grave  rises  a  plain  monument,  bearing  an  Acros- 
tic, composed  by  his  revered  teacher,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Mielziner.  It 
gives  a  pen  picture  of  his  image  as  it  lives  in  the  memory  of  those 
who  knew  and  loved  him. 


Officers  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El. 


President, 
Vice  -  President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Jacob  Greenebaum. 
Raphael  Peixotto. 
Simon  Silverberg. 
Ph.  Lippitt. 
Abr.  Anspacher. 


1900. 


Directors. 


Raphael  Peixotto. 
Jacob  Greenebaum. 
Lippmann  Sachs. 
Henry  Wangenheim. 


Henry  Wangenheim. 
Jos.  Naphtaly. 
Julius  Jacobs. 
S.  Newman. 
Lippmann  Sachs. 


S.  W.  Rosenstock. 


Minister, 
Cantor, 
Clerk, 
Collector, 


Rev.   Dr.  Jacob  Voorsanger. 
Edward  J.  Stark. 
Emanuel  Levy. 
H.  Ehrman. 


Staff  of  the  Religious  School. 

Ph.   Lippitt,   Chairman. 

Dr.  Jacob  Voorsanger,  Superintendent. 

Edward  J.   Stark,   Director  of  Music. 

Miss  Jeannette  Ephraim.  Miss  Ada  Goldsmith. 

"    Josephine  Cohn.  "     Lily  Kalmuk. 

"     Laura  Heineberg.  Mrs.   Jennie  Ehrman. 

"     Bertha  Goldsmith. 

Miss  Florence  Benjamin,  Secretary. 


Committees  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El. 

1900. 

Finances. 
Julius  Jacobs. 

Membership. 


Jacob  Greenebaum. 


S.  W.   Rosenstock. 


S.  Silverberg. 


Lippmann  Sachs. 


Jos.  Naphtaly. 


Julius  Jacobs. 


Simon  Newman. 

Building  and  Repairs. 

Jos.  Naphtaly. 

Choir. 
Jacob  Greenebaum. 

Ritual. 
Jacob  Greenebaum. 

School. 


Ph.   Lippitt. 


Julius  Jacobs. 


Ph.  Lippitt. 


S.  Silverberg. 


Abr.  Anspacher. 


Abr.  Anspacher. 


Simon  Newman. 


Jacob  Greenebaum. 


Abr.  Anspacher. 


H.  Wangenheim. 


Julius  Jacobs. 


Home  of  Peace  Cemetery. 

Lippmann  Sachs.  Simon  Newman. 

Semi  -  Centennial  Celebration. 

Lippmann  Sachs.  H.  Wangenheim. 


Ladies'  Committee  on  Decoration. 

Mrs.  William  Frank,  President.      Miss  Alice  Greenebaum,  Secretary. 
"     Jacob  Voorsanger.  Mrs.  Alfred  Greenebaum. 

"     Leon  Sloss.  "     I.  W.   Hellman,  Jr. 

"     Chas.  Colman.  Miss  Jessica  Peixotto. 

"     Juda  Newman.  Miss  Eva  Castle. 

Mrs.  Henrietta  Newman. 


APPENDIX    A. 


The   First    Lease   for   a   Jewish    Place  of   Worship    in 

California. 


This  Indenture  made  this  first  day  of  September  One  Thousand  Eight  Hundred  and 
Fifty  between  Loring  Bartlett,  Jr.,  of  the  City  of  San  Francisco  of  the,  first  part  and  the 

CONGREGATION    EMANU-EL 

of  the  second  part,  Witnesseth:  That  the  said  party  of  the  first  part  in  consideration  of 
the  rents  and  covenants  hereinafter  named  doth  hereby  demise  and  let  to  the  said  party 
of  the  second  part  a  certain  room  in  a  building  belonging  to  the  party  of  the  first  part 
situated  on  Bush  Street  in  said  City  between  Montgomery  and  Sansome  Streets  about 
one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  feet  westerly  from  the  southwest  corner  of  Bush  and  San- 
some Streets,  the  said-  room  being  on  the  floor  of  said  building,  and  being  about  eighty 
feet  in  length  by  twenty-three  in  width  for  the  monthly  rent  of  Two  Hundred  Dollars 
payable  monthly  in  advance  for  the  period  of  two  months  with  the  privilege  to  the  said 
party  of  the  second  part  to  hold  the  same  upon  the  same  conditions  for  four  months  longer 
from  the  expiration  of  the  said  two  months.  And  it  is  agreed  by  the  parties  hereto  that 
they  will  and  faithfully  perform  the  conditions  and  covenants  to  this  agreement,  and  the 
party  of  the  second  part  hereby  agrees  to  give  the  party  of  the  first  part  ten  days  notice 
before  the  expiration  of  the  said  two  months  of  their  intention  to  surrender  up  the  prem- 
ises or  they  shall  be  deemed  to  have  accepted  the  same  for  the  said  four  months  longer 
and  the  said  party  of  the  second  part  hereby  agrees  to  quit  and  surrender  up  the  premises 
at  the  expiration  of  the  lease  without  notice  from  the  party  of  the  first  part. 

In  Witness  whereof  the  said  parties  have  hereunto  set  their  hands  and  seals  the  day 
and  year  first  above  written. 

In  presence  of  For  the  Congregation  Emanu-El 

C.  Gilchrist.  E.  M.  Berg,  President.  [seal] 

Loring  Bartlett  Jr.  [seal] 


G  o  u  &  /i 


^5rr*  e  &  ?~ 


to 


The   Vallejo  Street  Cemetery. 


1 

7o/o  /» es         ySt. 

S+O 

s 

o 

05 

13: 

Ln 

» 

0 

HOME  of  PEACE 

S? 

130 

CEMETERY 

IS 


5? 


C //  ar  cA        <Tt. 


The   Old   Home  of  Peace  Cemetery. 


APPENDIX    B. 


Brief    Sketch   of   our    Religious   Affairs  from     1849 

to   this    Day. 


(  BY     AN     ANONYMOUS    WRITER.  ) 

Among  the  first  settlers  of  our  people  on  the  Pacific  Coast  after  the  purchase  of  Cali- 
fornia by  the  government  of  the  United  States  we  find  the  following  names  :  Major  A. 
C.  Labatt,  Mr.  M.  Schaefer,  Mr.  Sharp,  Mr.  A.  Hess,  Mr.  Ph.  Schloss,  Mr.  Louis  Frank- 
lin, Mr.  Bodenheim. 

The  first  religious  meeting  of  our  people  in  this  city  was  held  on  Yom  Kippur  5609 
(1849)  in  a  tent  room  occupied  by  Mr.  Louis  Franklin,  situated  on  Jackson  near  the  corner 
of  Kearney  Street ;  there  were  about  ten  persons  present. 

After  Yom  Kippur  no  meetings  were  held  till  the  fall  holy  days  of  the  following  year 
5610,  when  the  first  temporary  synagogue  was  organized  in  this  city  for  the  purpose  of 
celebrating  the  solemn  Holy  days.  They  met  in  Kearney  Street  under  the  management 
of  Leon  Dyer,  Esq.,  President ;  J.  J.  Joseph,  V.  P. ;  H.  Hart,  J.  Rosenbaum,  P.  Runkle, 
Samuel  Marks,  L.  A.  Levy,  Esqs. 

But  the  first  regularly  organized  and  incorporated  congregation  was  instituted  anno 
5611  (1851)  under  the  title  "Emanu-El."  They  then  performed  service  on  Kearny  Street, 
between  Pine  and  Bush  and  afterwards  in  other  temporary  localities. 

List  of  officers  for  1851  : 

A.  C.  Labatt,  President ;  A.  Waters,  V.  P. 
M.  Schwartz,  Secretary;    N.  S.  Neustadt,  Treas. 
J.  J.  Joseph,   P.  Rinkle,  L.  A.   Lew,   R.  Wyman, 
I.  Seligman,  Trustees. 

List  of  officers  for  1852 : 

J.  Shannon,  President ;  S.  Fleishacker,  Y.  P. 
E.  M.  Berg,  Secretary;  S.  Myers,  Treas. 
A.  Waters,  D.  Jacobv,  J.  Myer,  D.  Gottscha 
H.  Hess,  Trustees. 


/■'.squires. 


iai.k,    I 


Esquires. 


iv  Appendix 


WRITTEN  BY  ANOTHER  HAND. 

1853:  E.  M.  Berg,  President,  L.  Wertheimer,  V.  P.,  Israel  Woolf,  Treas.,  Ch.  Hess, 
Sect'y;  H.  Regensburger,  Louis  Cohn,  M.  Barnett,  Moritz  Cohen,  M.  Morgenthau. 

List  of  officers  for  1853-54.  H.  Seligman,  President ;  M.  Barnett,  V.  P.;  L.  Hess, 
Treasurer;  Charles  Emanuel,  Sect'y;  E.  M.  Berg,  Louis  Cohn,  L.  Tichener,  Moritz 
Cohen,  M.  Frank. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  year  1851  a  present  of  a  most  elegantly  written  Sepher 
Torah  accompanied  by  a  Yadh  (pointer),  composed  of  solid  gold were  trans- 
mitted by  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  through  B.  Davidson,  Esquire,  agent  to  the  Messrs. 
Rothschild,  to  the  first  Jewish  congregation  in  San  Francisco.  The  Cong.  Emanu-El 
claimed  and  obtained  the  same.  The  Sepher  is  still  preserved  and  used  by  the  Congre- 
gation. 

For  though  as  early  as  1851,  the  Cong.  Emanu-El  being  desirous  of  building  a  proper 
place  of  worship  raised  a  contribution  for  that  purpose,  in  which  they  were  generously 
and  liberally  assisted  by  their  fellow  citizens  of  other  denominations.  They  collected  a 
sum  amounting  to  Fifteen  Hundred  Dollars.  But  the  disastrous  conflagration  of  1851 
frustrated  our  efforts  for  that  time.  However  in  the  year  1853  another  effort  was  made 
at  a  meeting  of  the  congregation  held  at  their  temporary  Synagogue,  cor.  Stockton  and 

Green  Streets,  date a  committee  for  receiving  subscriptions  was  appointed  ; 

collections  flowed  that  time  as  in  1S51  liberally  from  Jew  and  Gentile  so  that  the  sum  of 
$20,000  was  raised. 

The  Cong,  seeing  itself  enabled  to  realize  its  long  desired  object,  a  lot  of  63  by  137 
feet  was  purchased  on  Broadway  Str.  on  which  building  was  commenced  (Date  June  ;) 
executed  by  Craine  and  England,  architects;  builder,  John  Daniels,  which  by  the  help  of 
God  we  expect  to  consecrate  before  Rosh  Hashanah  next.  And  on  July  23d  the  cere- 
mony of  laying  the  corner  stone  was  celebrated,  in  the  presence  of  a 

The  ceremony  was  performed  by  Rev.  Dr.  Eckman  in  the  cavity.  The  stone  was 
laid  and  the  objects  contained  (therein)  were  deposited  by  A.  C.  Labatt,  Esq.,  now  Vice- 
President  of  the  Congregation.  Contributors — Members,  List  of  Officers  from — to — 
Sir  Moses  Montefiore.     The  Ministry,  M'ay  the  Lord  speed  our  work  and  establish  it. 


APPENDIX  C. 


Roll  of  Officers  of  the  Congregation    Emanu-El 
from    1865  until  1 9oo. 


[Note.— For  a  list  of  officers  from  1850-1865  see  chapters  I,  III  and  IV. 


i 865  -    i  866 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


I.   F.   Bloch. 
A.  Seligman. 


Directors 

L.    DlNKELSPIEL 

Louis  Cohn 


Louis  Sachs 
Martin   Heller 
Jacob  Greenebai  m 
B.  Hagan 


B.   Price 

A.  Hirschfelder 


These  Officers  served  during  the  building  of  the  Temple  on  Sutter  Street. 

Mr.  B.  Hagan  resigned  as  Secretary  March  29th.  1S66,  and  G.  S.  Goodman  elected  to  fill   the 
vacancy. 


i  866  -   1  867 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


A.  Seligman 
Beni.   Price 


Directors 

M.  Mayblum 
Aaron  Cahn 


Martin  Heller 
Isaac  F.  Bloch 

L.    DlNKELSPIEL 

G.  S.  Goodman 


Nathan  Scheeline 
Lewis  Gerstle 


VI 


President, 

Vice-President, 

Treasurer, 

Secretary, 

Morris  Mayblum 
Louis  Sachs 

President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 

Jacob  Greenebaum 
Solomon  Sweet 

President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 

Louis  Sachs 
A.  Seligman 
I.  F.  Bloch 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer , 
Secretary, 

I.  F.  Bloch 
J.  Greenebaum 
L.   Dinkelspiel 


Appendix 
1867   -    1861 


Directors 

A.  Seligman 
Moses  Selig 

1868    -    I  869 


Directors 
Isaac  F.  Bloch 
Louis  Sachs 

1869   -    1870 


Directors 

Jacob  Greenebaum 
Laz.  Dinkelspiel 
Em.  Wertheimer 

1870  -    I  8  7  I 


Directors 
Louis  Sachs 
A.  Seligman 
Em.  Wertheimer 


A.  Hollub 

S.    LlPPMANN 

Amson  Goldsmith 
Seixas  Solomons 

Solomon  Sweet 
Bernhard  Gattel 

Adolphus  Hollub 
S.  Lipman 
A.  L.  Wangenheim 
Seixas  Solomon 

Moses  Selig 
Samson    Rosenblatt 

A.  Hollub 

S.  Lipman 

Em'l.  Wertheimer 

Seixas  Solomons 

Moses  Selig 

Sol.  Sweet 

A.  L.  Wangenheim 

A.  Hollub 

S.  Lipman 

E.  Wertheimer 

Seixas  Solomons 

Moses  Selig 

Sol.  Sweet 

A.  L.  Wangenheim 


MAIER  STEPPACHER, 
1854  1885. 


MOSES   MEYERFEUD, 
[885  [892. 


s  \miiu,   ROSENER, 
1892-1900. 


II  ERMAN    liMKM  \.\. 


THE    SEXTONS 
of    the    Temple    Emanu-El. 


Appendix 


VI  i 


i  8  7  I   -    1872 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


E.  Wertheimer 
J.  P.  Newmark 
M.  Meverfeld 


Directors 

F.  Bloch 

J.  Green ebaum 

L.  Dinkelspiel 


I. 


A.    HOLLUB 

.Moses  Selig 
L.  Dinkelspiel 
Moses  Hvman 


Louis  Sachs 

Sol.  Sweet 

A.  L.  Wangenheim 


Emanuel  Levy  was  elected  Secretary  on  resignation  of  Moses  Hyman,  Feb.  5th,  1872. 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Louis  Sachs 

A.  L.  Wangenheim 

Amson  Goldsmith 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


E.  Wertheimer 
J.  P.  Newmark 
M.  Meverfeld 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer , 
Secretary, 


Louis  Sachs 
Isaac  Manheim 
Amson  Goldsmith 


1872    -    1873 


Directors 

E.  Wertheimer 
J.  P.  Newmark 
M.  Meverfeld 


1873  -   !874 


Directors 
Louis  Sachs 
I.  Manheim 
Amson  Goldsmith 

1874    -    1875 


Directors 

Jacob  Greeneis.um 
Martin  Heller 
S.  B.  Dinkelspiel 


Moses  Selig 
Laz.  Dinkelspiel 
M.  Meverfeld 
E.  Levy 


I.  F.  Bloch 

Jacob  Greenebaum 
Moses  Hvman 


M.  Selig 
L.  Dinkelspiel 
M.   Meverfeld 
Emanuel  Levy 


Jacob  Greenebaum 
Martin  Heller 
S.  B.  Dinkelspiel 


Moses  Selig 
Laz.  Dinkelspiel 
M.   Meverfeld 
Emanuel  Levy 


E.  Wertheimer 
M.  Meverfeld 
Lewis  Emanuel 


VI  1  1 


President, 
Vice-President , 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Jacob  Greenebaum 
Martin  Heller 
S.  B.  Dinkelspiel 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Emanuel  YVertheimer 
M.  Meverfeld 
Lewis  Emanuel 


President, 

Vice-President, 

Treasurer, 

Secretary, 


Isaac  Manheim 

Meyer  Weil 

Abr.  Schwabacher 


Appendix 
1875   -    1876 


Directors 

E.  YVertheimer 
M.  Meverfeld 
L.  Emanuel 

I  876    -    1877 


Directors 

Louis  Sachs 
Isaac  Manheim 
Mever  Weil 

1877    -    1878 


Directors 

Martin  Heller 
J.  Greenebaum 
M.  Hyman 


Moses  Selig 
N.  Scheeline 
M.  Meverfeld 
Emanuel  Levy 


Louis  Sachs 
I.  Manheim 
A.  Goldsmith 


Moses  Selig 

Nathan  Scheeline 
M.  Meverfeld 
Emanuel  Levy 


Martin  Heller 
Jacob  Greenebaum 
Moses  Hyman 


Moses  Selig 

N.  Scheeline 
Meyer  Weil 
Emanuel  Levy 


M.  Meverfeld 
L.  Emanuel 
Sam  Sachs,  Jr. 


1878    -    1879 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Martin  Heller 
Jacob  Greenebaum 
Moses  Hyman 


Directors 

M.  Meverfeld 
Lewis  Emanuel 
Sam  Sachs,  Jr. 


Moses  Selig 
Nathan  Scheeline 
M.  Hyman 
Emanuel  Levy 


Isaac  Manheim 
Meyer  Weil 
Abr.  Schwabacher 


Appendix 
1879  -   1880 


IX 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Martin  Heller 
Jacob  Greenebai  m 
Moses  Hyman 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Isaac  Manheim 
Mever  Weil 
Simon  Silverberg 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Jacob  Greenebaum 
Moses  Hyman 
I.  N.  Walter 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


M.   Meverfeld 
Sam  Sa(  iis 

E.    R.     LlLIENTHAL 


Directors 

Isaac  Manheim 
Meyer  Weil 
A.  Schwabacher 

I  880   -    I  88  I 


Directors 

Jacob  Greenebaum 
Moses  Hyman 
Isaac  Walter 

[88l    -    1882 


Directors 

M.  Meyerfeld 

Sam  Sachs 

E.   R.    LlLIENTHAL 

1882    -    I  883 


Directors 

Simon  SilveRBBRG 
A.  Schwa i! ac her 
Isaac  Hecht 


Moses  Selig 
Nathan  Sheeline 
Moses  Hyman 
Emanuel  Levy 


Moses  Meyerfeld 
Lewis  Emanuel 
Sam  Sachs,  Jr. 


Martin  Heller 
A.  Schwabacher 
M.  Hyman 
Emanuel  Levy 


Moses  Meyerfeld 
Sam  Sachs,  Jr. 

E.    R.    LlLIENTHAL 


Martin  Heller 
Julius  Jacobs 
M.  Hyman 
Emanuel  Levy 


S.  Silverberg 
A.  Schwabacher 
Isaac  Hecht 


Martin  Heller 
Julius  Jacobs 
M.  Hyman 
Emanuel  Levy 


J.  Greenebaum 
M.  Hyman 
I.  N.  Walter 


Appendix 


1883   -    1  884 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Simon  Silverberg 
Abr.  Schwabacher 
Isaac  Hecht 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Jacob  Greenebaum 
Moses  Hyman 
P.  N.  Lilienthal 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


M.  Meyerfeld 

Julius  Jacobs 

H.  W.  Newbauer 


Directors 

Jacob  Greenebaum 
Moses  Hyman 
I.  N.  Walter 

1884    -    I  885 


Directors 

M.  Meyerfeld 
A.  Anspacher 
H.  W.  Newbauer 

1885    -    1886 


Directors 

Abr.  Schwabacher 
S.  Silverberg 
Isaac  Hecht 


Martin  Heller 
Julius  Jacobs 
M.  Hyman 

Emanuel  Levy 


Moses  Meyerfeld 

Sam  Sachs 

H.  W.  Newbauer 


Martin  Heller 
Julius  Jacobs 
M.  Hyman 
Emanuel  Levy 


A.  Schwabacher 
S.  Silverberg 
Isaac  Hecht 


Martin  Heller 
A.  Anspacher 
M.  Hyman 
Emanuel  Levy 


J.  Greenebaum 

M.  Hyman 

P.  N.  Lilienthal 


I  886   -    I  887 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Abr.  Schwabacher 
S.  Silverberg 
Isaac  Hecht 


Directors 

Jacob  Greenebaum 
Moses  Hyman 
P.  N.  Lilienthal 


Martin  Heller 
A.  Anspacher 
M.  Hyman 
Emanuel  Levy 


Julius  Jacobs 
H.  VV.  Newbauer 
E.  S.  Heller 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Jacob  Greenebaum 

P.    N.    LlLIENTHAL 

Moses  Hyman 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary,     . 


Julius  Jacobs 
E.  S.  Heller 
Herrman  Lew 


Appendix 
1887   -    1888 


XI 


Directors 

Julius  Jacobs 
E.  S.  Heller 
H.  W.  Newbauer 

1888    -    1889 


Directors 

S.  Silverberg 

S.    ROSENER 

L.  S.  Bachman 


Martin  Heller 
A.  Anspacher 
M.  Hyman 
Emanuel  Levy 


S.  Silverberg 
S.  Rosener 
L.  S.  Bachman 


Martin  Heller 
A.  Anspacher 
M.  Hyman 
Emanuel  Levy 


Jacob  Greenebaum 
M.  Hyman 

P.    N.    LlLIENTHAL 


I  889    -    I  890 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Simon  Silverberg 
Sam  Rosener 
L.  S.  Bachman 


Directors 

Moses  Hyman 
J.  Greenebaum 

P.    N.     LlLIENTHAL 


Martin  Heller 
A.  Anspacher 
M.  Hyman 
Emanuel  Levy 


Julius  Jacobs 
Herrman  Levy 
E.  S.  Heller 


i  8  90  -    I  8  9  I 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Moses  Hyman 
Jacob  Greenebaum 

P.    N.    LlLIENTHAL 


Directors 

Julius  Jacobs 
Herrman  Levy 
E.  S.   Heller 


Martin  Heller 
A.  Anspacher 
M.  Hyman 
Emanuel  Levy 


S.  Silverberg 
S.  Rosener 
R.  Peixotto 


Xll 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Julius  Jacobs 
Isaac  Strassburger 
Lippmann  Sachs 


President, 
Vice-President , 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Martin  Heller 
A.  Anspacher 
Jacob  Greenebaum 
Julius  Jacobs 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Julius  Jacobs 

P.    N.    LlLIENTHAL 

Isaac  Strassburger 
Lippmann  Sachs 


Appendix 
i  89  i    -    1892 

Directors 

Simon  Silverberg 
S.  Rosener 
R.  Peixotto 

1892  -    I  893 
Directors 

P.    N.    LlLIENTHAL 

Lippmann  Sachs 
S.  W.  Heller 
S.  Silverberg 

1893  -    J  894 


Directors 

J.  Greenebaum 
S.  Silverberg 
S.  W.  Heller 
R.  Peixotto 


Martin  Heller 
A.  Anspacher 
M.  Hyman 
Emanuel  Levy 


M.  Hyman 

P.    N.    LlLIENTHAL 

Jacob  Greenebaum 


Martin  Heller 
Abr.  Anspacher 
Lippmann  Sachs 
Raph.  Peixotto 


Sam  Rosener 
Isaac  Strassburger 
Raph.  Peixotto 


Martin  Heller 
Abr.   Anspacher 
Lippmann  Sachs 
Raph.  Peixotto 


Martin  Heller 
Abr.  Anspacher 
H.  Wangenheim 


President, 
Vice-President , 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Jacob  Greenebaum 
Simon  Silverberg 
Jacob  Frauenfeld 
Raph.  Peixotto 


I  894    -    I  895 


Directors 

Henry  Wangenheim 
Abr.  Anspacher 
Jos.  Naphtaly 
Julius  Jacobs 


Abr.  Anspacher 
R.  Peixotto 
Lippmann  Sachs 
H.  Wangenheim 


Simon  Newman 
Lippmann  Sachs 
S.  VV.  Rosenstock 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Abr.  Anspacher 
Henry  Wangenheim 
Jos.  Naphtalv 
Julius  Jacobs 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Julius  Jacobs 
Simon  Newman 
Lippmann  Sachs 
S.  W.  Rosenstock 


President, 
Vice-President , 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Jacob  Greenebaum 
Raph.  Peixotto 
Simon  Silverberg 
Em.  M.  Heller 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Abr.  Anspacher 
H.  Wangenheim 
Jos.  Naphtalv 
Julius  Jacobs 


Appendix 

1895  ■    !  896 

Directors 

Simon  Newman 
Lippmann  Sachs 
S.  \V.  Rosenstock 
Jacob  Greenebaum 

1896  -    1897 


Directors 

Jacob  Greenebaum 
Raph.  Peixotto 
Simon  Silverberg 
Jacob  Frauenfeld 

I  897    -    I  898 


Directors 

A.  Anspacher 
H.  Wagenheim 
Jos.  Naphtalv 
Julius  Jacobs 

I  898    -    I  899 


Directors 

Simon  Newman 
Lippmann  Sachs 
S.  W.  Rosenstock 
Jacob  Greenehai  M 


Abr.  Anspacher 
R.  Peixotto 
Lippmann  Sachs 
H.  Wangenheim 


Raph.  Peixotto 
Simon  Silverberg 
J.  Frauenfeld 


R.  Peixotto 
J.  Greenebaum 

Lippmann  Sachs 
H.  Wangenheim 


Abr.  Anspacher 
H.  Wangenheim 
Jos.  Naphtalv 


Raph.  Peixotto 
Jacob  Greenebaum 
Lippmann  Sachs 
H.  Wangenheim 


Simon  Newman 
Lippmann  Sachs 
S.  W.  Rosenstock 


R.  Peixotto 
J.  Greenebaum 
Lippmann  Sachs 
H.  Wangenheim 


Raph.   Peixotto 
Simon  Silverberg 
Emanuel  M.  Heller 
Phil.  LlPPTCT 


XIV 


Appendix 


1899  -    1900 


President, 
Vice-President, 
Treasurer, 
Secretary, 


Julius  Jacobs 
Simon  Newman 
Lippmann  Sachs 
S.  W.  Rosenstock 


Directors 

Jacob  Greenebaum 
Raph.  Peixotto 
Simon  Silverberg 
Ph.  Lippitt 


Raph.  Peixotto 
Jacob  Greenebaum 
Lippmann  Sachs 
H.  Wangenheim 


A.  Anspacher 
H.  Wangenheim 
Jos.   Naphtaly 


APPENDIX    D. 


List  of  Members  of  the  Congregation  Emanu-El 
on  December  i,  1900. 


A. 


Abrahamson,  A. 
Ackerman,  Charles  L. 
Ackerman,  Edward 
Ackerman,  I.  S. 
Adler,  Moses 
Ahrendt,  Harris 
Alpern,  Max 


Bachman,  Mrs.  L.  S. 
Bachman,  Mrs.  Leopold  I. 
Bachman,  Leopold  S. 
Bachman,  Simon 
Baer,  Joseph 
Baer,  Leopold 
Baruch,  Frederick 
Bauer,  S. 
Bauer,  Moses 
Baum,  Mrs.  Julius 
Bettman,  Estate  Moses 
Bier,  Charles  S. 
Bissinger,  A. 
Blaskower,  M. 
Block,  Mrs.  A.  B. 
Block,  Daniel 


Alexander,  Joseph 
Anspacher,  Abraham 
Anspacher,  Philip 
Anspacher,  Simon 
Arnhold,  Benjamin 
Aronson,  Charles  S. 


B. 


Block,  Harrv 
Block,  Leopold 
Bloom,  J.  H. 

Bloomingdale,  Estate  E. 
Blum,  Moses 
Boscovvitz,  Mrs.  C.  J. 
Brandenstein,  Joseph 
Brandenstein,  M. 
Brandenstein,  M.J. 
Brandt,  Maurice 
Bremer,  W.  H. 
Brenner,  Gustave 
Brown,  Morris 
Brown,  Charles 
Breslauer,  L. 


XVI 


Appendix 


Cahen,  Estate  Louis 
Cahn,  Aron 
Cahn,  Israel 
Castle,  Mrs.  F.  L. 
Castle,  Mrs.  Michael 
Cerf,  Albert 
Cerf,  Moise 
Clavborgh,  Albert 
Clayburgh,  Moses 


C 

Clayburgh,  Mrs.  Katie 
Clayburgh,  Simon 
Coblentz,  Felix 
Cohen,  Herrman 
Cohn,  Estate  Edward 
Cohn,  Samuel 
Cohn,  S.  S. 
Cook,  Mrs.  Aron 
Colman,  Charles 


D. 


Dannenbaum,  J. 
Dannenbaum,  S. 
Davis,  A.  M. 
Davis,  G.  A. 
Davis,  Max 


Deutsch,  Julius 
Dinkelspiel,  Joseph  S. 
Dinkelspiel,  Mrs.  Moses 
Dinkelspiel,  Mrs.  Lazarus 
Dinkelspiel,  Samuel 


E 


Ehrman,  Herman 
Elkus,  Louis 
Eloesser,  Leo 
Emanuel,  Mrs.  Lewis 
Englander,  Estate  Max 


Eppinger,  J. 
Eppinger,  Herman 
Erlanger,  Mrs.  H. 
Ettlinger,  B. 
Esberg,  Mrs.  M. 


Feder,  S. 

Feigenbaum,  Joseph 
Feuchtwanger,  S. 
Fisher,  Ph. 
Fleishaker,  Mrs.  A. 
Foorman,  Samuel 
Frank,  A.  L. 
Frank,  Mrs.  G.  W. 
Frank,  Jacob 
Frank,  J.  J. 


Frank,  M.  E. 

Frank,  S.   M. 

Frank,  William 

Frank,  W. 

Fried  lander,  S.  J. 

Friesleben,  Mrs.  Daniel  N. 

Frohman,   Henry 

Frowenfeld,  J. 

Furth,  Mrs.  Simon 


Vppendix 


XVI! 


Q. 


Galland,  Mrs.  J.  B. 
Gallinger,  M. 
Gerst,  G. 

Gerstle,  Marcus  L. 
Gerstle,  Lewis 
Getleson,  B. 
Godchaux,  A. 
Goldman,  I.  W. 
Goldman,  Jacob 
Goldman,  Joseph 
Goldstein,  Mrs.  E.  L. 
Goldstein,  S. 
Greenbaum,  Mrs.  Louis 


Greenberg,  Ab.  H. 
Greenebaum,  Alfred 
Greenebaum,  Jacob 
Greenebaum,  Moses 
Greenebaum,  Sig. 
Greenewald,  Jacob 
Greenewald,  Mrs.  S. 
Greenzweig,  George 
Guggenheim,  Berthold 
Guggenheim,  Leon 
Gump,  Mrs.  Gus. 
Gump,  Sol. 
Gunst,  M.  A. 


H. 


Haas,  Louis  S. 
Haas,  William 
Harris,  Isaac 
Hart,  Marcus 
Haussman,  S. 
Hecht,  Bert 
Hecht,  Mrs.  Isaac 
Hecht,  M.  H. 
Heineman,  H.   M. 
Heineman,  Mrs.  Elias 
Helbing,  Estate  A. 
Heller,  Mrs.  E.   M. 
Heller,  Estate  Moses 
Heller,  Moses 
Heller,  Samuel  VV. 
Hellhan,   I.  \Y. 
Hellman,  I.  \V.,  Jr. 


Heyman,  Jacob 
Hevneman,  H. 
Hi lp,  Henry 
Hirsch,  Leopold,  Sr. 
Hirsch,  Leopold,  Jr. 
Hirsch,  Charles 
Hirschfelder,  Mrs.  A. 
Hirsciiler,  Edward 
Hochstadter,  S. 
Hoffman,  J.   L. 
Hoffman,  Joseph 
Hort,  Mrs.  Samuel 

I  1  VMAN,     H.    W. 

Hyman,  Joseph 
Hyman,  Morris 
Hyman,  Mrs.  Moses 


kelheimer,  Henry 


Israel,  M 


XV111 


Appendix 


Jacob,  Mrs.  S. 
Jacobs,  Henry 
Jacobs,  Isidore 


Jacobs,  Julius 
Jacobs,  S.  L. 

JUDELL,    H.    L. 


K. 


Kahn,  A. 
Kahn,  Joseph 
Kahn,  Dr.  S.  S. 
Kalisher,  E.  D. 
Kaufman,  Leon 
Keesing,  Mrs.  Barnett 
Kline,  David 


Kohlberg,  Manfred  S. 
Kohn,  Isaac 
Koshland,  M.  S. 
Kullman,  H. 
Kusel,  S.  A. 
Kutz,  Mrs.  G.  M. 


Lachman,  Estate  S. 
Lazarus,  Samuel 
Lederer,  Mrs.  G.  M. 
Leffman,  L.  D. 
Leszinskv,  Mrs.  Amelia 
Leventritt,  Marion 
Levi,  Jacob 
Levinsky,  L. 
Levison,  J.  B. 
Levison,  Mark 
Levy,  Emanuel 
Levy,  Frederick 
Levy,  Herrman 
Levy,  H.  M. 
Levy',  Isaac 
Levy,  Jules 
Levy,  Mrs.  Melanie 
Levy,  Oscar  S. 
Levy,  Sam.  N. 


Lew,  S.  W. 
Lewis,  Harris 
Lewis,  Sol. 
Lewis,  Wm. 
Lichenstein,  B.  H. 
Liebes,  Isaac 
Lievre,  Isidor 
Lilienthal,  E.  R. 
Lilienthal,  Mrs.  J.  L. 
Lilienthal,  Jesse  \Y. 
Lilienthal,  P.  N. 
Lindheimer,  M. 
Lippitt,  Philip 
Livingston,  D. 
Loupe,  Mrs.  L. 
Lowenberg,  G. 
Lowenstein,  Mrs.  I. 
Lyons,  Henry 


APP  END  I  X 


XIX 


M. 


Manheim,  H.  S. 
Marks,  S.  M. 
Meertief,  A. 
Meininger,  Louis 
Meyer,  Charles 
Meyer,  Henry 
Meyer,  L.  C. 
Meyer,  Matthias 


Meyer,  M.  C. 
Meyerfeld,  Jesse 
Meyerfeld,  Morris,  Jr. 
Meverstein,  Louis 
Michels,  Leopold 
Moore,  Mrs.  I.  C. 
Myer,  Mrs.  Fannie 
Myers,  Henry 


N. 


Naphtaly,  Joseph 
Nathan,  C.  P. 
Neustadter,  David 
Neustadter,  J.  H. 
Newbauer,  H.  W. 


Newman,  Judah 
Newman,  Simon 
Newman,  S.  J. 
Newman,  W.  J. 
Nordman,  Leon 


O. 


Olcovich,  H. 
Oppenheim,  Mrs.  Henry 


Patek,  Mrs.  A. 
Pauson,  Frank 
Peck,  Ph. 
Peixotto,  Raphael 


Oppenheimer,  Rosa 
Ordenstein,  Max 

P. 

Platshek,  Julius 
Platshek,  M.  J. 
Polev,  J. 
Posner,   Max 


R. 


Rehfisch,  Paul 
Rich,  Joseph 
Roos,  Adolph,  Sr. 
Roos,  Adolph,  Jr. 
Rosenbaum,  Charles  VV. 
Rosenbaum,  D.  S. 
Rosenbaum,  I.  S. 
Rosener,  Mrs.  Samuel 
Rosensiiine,  A. 


ROSENSHINE,    M.    W. 

Rosenstock,  S.  W. 
Rosenthal,  I.   L. 
Roth,   Mrs.  Bertha 
Roth,  Daniel 
Rothchild,  J.  M. 
Rothschild,  Joseph 
Rothschild,  Hugo 


XX 


Appendix 


S. 


Sachs,  David 
Sachs,  Lippmann 
Sachs,  Estate  Louis 
Sachs,  Mrs.  Martin 
Sachs,  Samuel 
Sahlein,  Henry 
Salomon,  Sylvain 
Salz,  J. 

Samson,  Rudolph 
Samuels,  D. 
Saroni,  Louis 
Scheeline,  S. 
Schloss,  Benj. 
Schmitt,  B.  L. 

SCHMITT,    Ch.    A. 

Schoenfeld,  L.  S. 

SCHONBERG,    LOUIS 

Schonwasser,  Emil  G. 
schonwasser,  mrs.  s. 
Schussler,  Bertha 
Schussler,  John 
Schwabacher,  A. 
schwabacher,  mrs.  louis 
Schwabacher,  Ludvvig 
Schwabacher,  Sigmund 
Schwartz,  Isidor 
Schwarzschild,  Louis 
Schweitzer,  Bernhard 
Schweitzer,  Mrs.  Jacob 
Schweitzer,  Maurice 
Selig,  I. 

Selig,  Mrs.  Moses 
Seligman,  Mrs.  Moses 
Seller,  J.  H. 
Seller,  Samuel 


Triest,  B. 


Sichel,  Max 
Siebenhauer,  S. 
Siegel,  Moses 
Silverberg,  Simon 
Silverman,  Adolph 
Simon,  Estate  H.  L. 
Sinsheimer,  Henry 
Sloss,  Leon 
Sloss,  Louis 
Sloss,  M.  C. 
Solomon,  Mrs.  S. 
Son,  Adolph  A. 
Son,  Albert  A. 
Spitz,  A. 
Stahl,  Adolf 
Stark,  Edward  J. 
Steiner,  Theodore 
Steinfeld,  A. 
Steinhart,  Ignatz 
Steinhart,  Mrs.  William 
Stern,  E.  L. 
Stern,  Jacob 
Stern,  Jacob 
Stern,  Sigmund 
Sternheim,  Samuel 
Stone,  Mrs.  Isaac 
Strassburger,  Isaac 
Strassburger,  Sigmund 
Strauss,  K. 
Strauss,  Levi 
Strauss,  Mrs.  M. 
Sussman,  Samuel 
Sutro,  Mrs.  Gustave 
Sweet,  Mrs.  S. 

T. 

Tuska,  W.  J. 


Appendix 


x  XI 


V. 


VOORSANGER,   A.   W. 


VOORSANGER,   JACOB 


vv. 


Walter,  Clarence  R. 
Walter,  Mrs.  D.  N. 
Walter,  I.  N. 
Wangenheim,  Henry 
Wangenheim,  Sol. 
Wasserman,  S. 
Weil,  Bernard 
Weil,  David 
Weil,  Joseph 
Weil,  L.  A. 
Weil,  Samuel 
Weil,  William 
Weilheimer,  Mrs.  Seligman 


Weinlander,  E. 
Weinshenk,  Charles 
Wertheimer,  Mrs.  Moses 
Wertheimer,  Jacob 
Wiel,  L.  P. 
Wiener,  Mitchell 
Willard,  Maurice 
Wilson,  William 
Wise,  Otto  Irving 
Wollner,  Jacob 
Wormser,  Mrs.  Isaac 
Wormser,  Louis 
Wunsch,  M. 


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